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Pleuropericarditis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in ulcerative colitis
1First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morika, Japan.
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
|March 14, 2001
Summary
A rare case of pleuropericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred in a patient with active ulcerative colitis (UC). Treatment with steroids and anticoagulants resolved these serious complications, highlighting pleuropericarditis as an extraintestinal manifestation of UC.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gastroenterology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly ulcerative colitis (UC), can present with various extraintestinal manifestations.
- Cardiac involvement in IBD is uncommon but recognized, with pleuropericarditis being a rare complication.
Observation:
- A 30-year-old woman with active ulcerative colitis (UC) developed severe complications including pleuropericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- No other autoimmune diseases were identified in the patient.
Findings:
- The patient's condition significantly improved and resolved following pulsed steroid therapy and anticoagulant treatment.
- A literature review identified 27 previous cases of pleuropericarditis associated with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Pleuropericarditis in IBD has been reported to respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids.
Implications:
- Pleuropericarditis should be considered a potential extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Prompt recognition and management, including immunosuppressants and anticoagulation, are crucial for favorable outcomes in IBD-associated cardiac complications.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of cardiac involvement in IBD.