Nodular vasculitis - a novel cutaneous manifestation of autoimmune colitis

Panniculitis in association with autoimmune colitis (AC) is mostly confined to reports of erythema nodosum (EN) and Crohn's disease. We expand the repertoire of panniculitides associated with autoimmune bowel disease through a unique case report of nodular vasculitis (NV) that developed in parallel fashion to flares of ulcerative colitis (UC). A 51-year-old woman with a clinical history of surgically treated UC developed lesions on the lower legs that were initially diagnosed and treated as EN. Two years later, during a clinical exacerbation of UC, she developed similar lesions that on biopsy examination showed features consistent with NV. While treatment with antibiotics resulted in amelioration of both bowel symptoms and leg lesions, cessation of the same resulted in recurrence of both. This report implies an association between NV and UC.