What is the evidence for fecal microbiota transplantation in refractory cuffitis

What is known

- For chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, FMT is described as having undergone limited evaluation with unresolved accessibility concerns. ¹ - The FMT-in-pouch literature consists of small uncontrolled prospective cohorts and a systematic review, all in chronic pouchitis rather than cuffitis. ^2–4 - Cuffitis is repeatedly listed as a distinct mimic to distinguish from pouchitis during diagnostic work-up, not as an FMT indication. ¹

What is unknown / caveats

- No retrieved study evaluates FMT for cuffitis specifically - Pouch FMT data are small, uncontrolled, and limited to chronic pouchitis - Cuffitis treatment evidence retrieved centers on topical/anti-inflammatory approaches, not FMT - Whether FMT has any effect in refractory cuffitis cannot be assessed from the retrieved evidence, which does not address this indication.

## References

1. Weber AT, Lichtenstein GR. Evidence-Based Approach to Chronic Antibiotic Refractory Pouchitis: A Review. Dis Colon Rectum. 2024;67:S99-s105. PMID: 38363696.

2. Cold F, Kousgaard SJ, Halkjaer SI, Petersen AM, Nielsen HL, Thorlacius-Ussing O, Hansen LH. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in the Treatment of Chronic Pouchitis: A Systematic Review. Microorganisms. 2020;8:ePub only. PMID: 32962069.

3. Levy AN, Allegretti JR. Insights into the role of fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Ther Adv Gastroenterol. 2019;12:1756284819836893. PMID: 30906424.

4. Rabbenou W, Chang S. Medical treatment of pouchitis: a guide for the clinician. Ther Adv Gastroenterol. 2021;14:17562848211023376. PMID: 34249146.

For educational use only, not a substitute for clinical judgement or medical advice. Consult qualified clinicians for diagnosis and treatment decisions. This tool may contain errors; use the flag button below to report inaccurate or harmful content.

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_Draft, generated by the IBDology RAG and not yet clinician-reviewed. Answers are grounded in the retrieved literature listed above; a high faithfulness score means the answer matches its sources, not that the sources are correct._