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Chronic monoarticular arthritis and acute pericardial tamponade in a child with Crohn's disease
E T Van Gundy1, S S Kaufman, D A Danford
1Department of Pediatrics, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68114.
Insights
A child with knee arthritis and heart issues was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Corticosteroids effectively treated these inflammatory bowel disease complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Background:
- Crohn's disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease) can manifest with extraintestinal symptoms.
- Early diagnosis of pediatric Crohn's disease is crucial for effective management.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old presented with refractory knee arthritis and subsequent pleuropericardial effusion causing tamponade.
- These rheumatologic symptoms preceded the definitive diagnosis of colonic Crohn's disease.
Findings:
- The patient's arthritis and cardiac effusion resolved with corticosteroid therapy.
- This case highlights the diverse extraintestinal manifestations of pediatric Crohn's disease.
Implications:
- Emphasizes the need to consider inflammatory bowel disease in children with unexplained arthritis and serositis.
- Corticosteroids can be effective in managing severe extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease.
Abstract:
We describe a 7-year-old child who developed right knee arthritis unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy. Additional rheumatologic disorders including pleuropericardial effusion with tamponade supervened before the recognition of Crohn's disease involving the colon. Suppression of all sites of inflammation resulted from corticosteroid therapy. Aspects of diagnosis and treatment of these extraintestinal components of inflammatory bowel disease are discussed.