NSAID-enterotoxicity: focus on the problem

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed medicines in the world. They are almost indispensable for quick elimination of pain, inflammation, and hyperthermia, but unfortunately, they have significant side effects, including related to the gastrointestinal tract. NSAID-induced gastropathy is well-studied and can be effectively overcome with acid-lowering drugs. NSAID-induced enteropathy and colonopathy, unfortunately, are less studied due to the complexity of the diagnosis. The gastrointestinal damages in the departments lower than Traits’ ligament account for about 40 % of all NSAID-induced gastrointestinal lesions, mostly often they are asymptomatic, but often become the cause of complications, including the life-threatening ones. Still, there are no effective medications for their treatment or prevention. This article presents a modern view of the pathogenesis of this condition, its epidemiology, and its clinical manifestations, as well as an overview of the available options for diagnostics, treatment and prevention of NSAIDs-induced entero- and colonopathy.