Ulcerative colitis initial presentation with multiple extra-intestinal manifestations.

Abstract

Multiple extraintestinal diseases are present in 0.3- 4.5 % of inflammatory bowel disease patients. A 39-year-old woman was admitted with a 3 months history of cervicalgia with functional incapacity, asthenia, tibio-tarsal bilateral arthritis and bloody diarrhoea. She had ferropenic anemia, SR-120 mm, creatinine clearance-42 mL/min, proteinuria-1.2 g/24h. Colonoscopy with biopsy showed active ulcerative rectossigmoiditis. She had bilateral sacroileitis more pronounced at the right side which was suggestive of ankylosing spondylitis. HLA B27 was positive. Because of colestasis, colangio-MRI and CPRE were done and were suggestive of primary sclerosing colangitis. Renal disease was interpreted as an analgesic nephropathy versus glomerulonephritis associated with ulcerative colitis. Cardiac ecodoppler showed pericardial thickening with a thin pericardial effusion. Full improvement of gastrointestinal complaints was observed with 5-ASA topic enemas, sulfassalazine, corticosteroids and azathioprine and full remission of ankylosing spondylitis with adalimumab. This case illustrates extraintestinal wide involvement as the initial presentation of ulcerative colitis, remarking its systemic nature.