Long‐standing ulcerative colitis complicated by right subclavian artery occlusion and upper limbs arteriolitis with digital ischemia

Abstract

Pulmonary vasculitis complicating ulcerative colitisLong-standing ulcerative colitis complicated by right subclavian artery occlusion and upper limbs arteriolitis with digital ischemia Abstract A 48-year-old male patient with long-standing ulcerative colitis since February 2001 which was diagnosed by endoscopy, developed acute digital ischemia affecting both hands with fixed colour changes in the left index finger which was followed shortly by digital ulceration. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of both upper limbs showed evidence of vasculitis affecting digital arterioles on both sided and right subclavian occlusion. The patient received pulse methylprednisolone followed by cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, the latter continuing on a monthly basis for 6 months with appreciable improvement and remission of the vasculitic process; follow-up MRA showed reperfusion of the previously occluded subcalvian artery. To the authors' knowledge vasculitis complicating the course of ulcerative colitis is a rare association and is only sporadically reported in the literature. This rare entity should be diagnosed early and aggressively treated; MRA is a very promising diagnostic tool that is suitable for both diagnosis and follow-up of patients with this rare entity.