Hypersensitivity reaction to balsalazide

Abstract

Balsalazide is used in short term and maintenance treatment of ulcerative colitis. It is a prodrug in which 5-aminosalicylic acid is linked via a diazo bond to 4-aminobenzoyl-β-alanine, an inert and biologically inactive carrier molecule. We report a case of a hypersensitivity reaction to balsalazide, involving pericarditis, an abnormal liver biochemistry profile, and splinter haemorrhages.