Ulcerative colitis presenting as leukocytoclastic vasculitis of skin

Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis Secondary to Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Vasculitis is an uncommon complication of biologics used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study describes a case series of vasculitis induced by anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in IBD patients.

METHODS

Retrospective assessments were performed using the medical records of adult IBD patients who underwent outpatient clinical follow-ups between January 2010 and December 2019 in order to identify patients with vasculitis caused by anti-TNF therapy.

RESULTS

There were 2442 patients altogether. Of these, 862 (35%) took anti-TNF medication. Five patients (0.6% of the overall patients; n = 3 (60%) Crohn's disease; n = 2 (40%), ulcerative colitis) were identified as having leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) due to anti-TNF therapy; these patients were white, female, and non-smokers. The mean age of LCV diagnosis was 32.2 years, and the mean IBD duration was 7.2 years. The mean time between the start of biologic therapy and LCV onset was 30.8 months. Most of the patients were using adalimumab (80%; n = 4). All the patients were in remission at the time of the LCV diagnosis, and the vasculitis affected the skin in all cases. Anti-TNF therapy was discontinued in the five abovementioned patients, and the response of LCV to the oral steroids was significantly positive. Remarkably, all five patients experienced complete remission from LCV within 4-12 weeks after starting prednisone therapy, and none of them had LCV recurrence in the follow-up period (a mean duration of 28 months).

CONCLUSIONS

LCV is an unusual complication of anti-TNF therapy in the IBD setting. In this context, clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion of LCV in patients who develop an unexplained cutaneous rash.

Clinical Manifestations of Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis, Treatment, and Outcome in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a rare extraintestinal manifestation (EIM) of ulcerative colitis (UC). Observations about its association with UC stem from case reports and small case series. Due to its rarity, more rigorous cross-sectional studies are scarce and difficult to conduct. The aim of this systematic review was to synthetize the knowledge on this association by reviewing published literature in the form of both case reports and case series; and report the findings according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In contrast to LCV in Chron disease (CD), which occurs secondary to biologic therapies used for its treatment, LCV in UC is a true reactive skin manifestation. Both genders are equally affected. Palpable purpura (41%) and erythematous plaques (27%) are the most common clinical manifestations. In 41% of patients, the rash is painful, and the lower extremities are most commonly involved (73%). Systemic symptoms such as fever, arthralgias, fatigue, and malaise are seen in 60% of patients. Unlike previous reports, we found that LCV more commonly occurs after the UC diagnosis (59%), and 68% of patients have active intestinal disease at the time of LCV diagnosis. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) is positive in 41% of patients, and 36% of patients have other EIMs present concomitantly with LCV. The majority of patients were treated with corticosteroids (77%), and two (10%) required colectomy to control UC and LCV symptoms. Aside from one patient who died from unrelated causes, all others survived with their rash typically resolving without scarring (82%).

Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis as a Rare Dermatologic Extraintestinal Manifestation of Ulcerative Colitis in an Elderly Patient with Positive PR3-ANCA

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that in rare cases may develop extraintestinal manifestations. This case report aims to add to the limited clinical data on leukocytoclastic vasculitis and possible ANCA-associated vasculitis as rare cutaneous and rheumatologic extraintestinal manifestations of IBD, particularly in elderly patients. Our case involves a 79-year-old male with a history of mild-moderate ulcerative colitis on oral mesalamine 2.4 g daily and pyoderma gangrenosum who presented with recurrent bilateral polyarthralgia, joint swelling, diffuse lower extremity purpura, acute kidney injury, and scrotal rash. Autoimmune titers were significant for positive ANA and PR3-ANCA. Biopsy of purpuric lesions demonstrated findings suggestive of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The patient was promptly treated with pulse-dose methylprednisolone for 3 days with rapid improvement of symptoms.

Inflammatory Cutaneous Lesions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treated With Vedolizumab or Ustekinumab: An ECCO CONFER Multicentre Case Series

This was a multicentre case series supported by the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] and performed as part of the Collaborative Network of Exceptionally Rare case reports [CONFER] project. The aim was to report on whether cutaneous lesions associated with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] and refractory to standard medical therapy including anti-tumour necrosis factors [anti-TNFs], would respond to the newer biologic agents ustekinumab [UST] or vedolizumab [VDZ]. This report includes 28 patients with cutaneous lesions from 14 centres, all of whom had failed immunomodulator and anti-TNF therapy. Metastatic Crohn's disease [MCD] was diagnosed in 10 patients: UST led to remission in five cases and partial response in four cases, with a single report of VDZ inducing remission. All cases of MCD treated with UST responded after the first or second dose, and the median time for the five cases that attained remission was 5 months. Pyoderma gangrenosum [PG] was diagnosed in four cases: three of these attained remission with UST [median time to remission 4 months] and one case did not respond to VDZ. There were seven cases of erythema nodosum [EN]: UST led to remission in four cases and partial response in 1 case whilst VDZ had partial response in 2 cases and non-response in two cases. There were seven single cases of other inflammatory lesions. In summary, UST appears to be useful for different cutaneous lesions including MCD, PG, and EN, whereas VDZ does not appear to be useful for lesions that are independent of disease activity.

Cutaneous manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease (Review)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is defined as a chronic condition characterized by unpredictable relapsing episodes of gastrointestinal inflammation. IBD is not limited to the gastrointestinal tract and should be considered a systemic disease which can involve any organ. Cutaneous manifestations in IBD are frequent and comprise a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from mild to severe and sometimes debilitating lesions. Some of the cutaneous manifestations can present signs of an underlying intestinal disease, leading to the screening for non-detected IBD even in the absence of symptoms. Cutaneous EIMs are divided into 4 categories: i) Disease-specific lesions that show the same histopathologic findings as the underlying gastrointestinal disease, ii) reactive lesions which are inflammatory lesions that share a common pathogenetic mechanism but do not share the same pathology with the gastrointestinal disease, iii) associated conditions are more frequently observed in the context of IBD, without sharing the pathogenetic mechanism or the histopathological findings with the underlying disease and iv) drug-related skin reactions.

Cutaneous vasculitis in rheumatologic disease: Current concepts of skin and systemic manifestations

Cutaneous vasculitis may be limited to the skin, a manifestation of systemic vasculitis, or a sign of an important underlying disease state. A thorough and systematic approach is required for accurate diagnosis and evaluation of such patients to enable appropriate management of the vasculitis and any associated condition. Occasionally, cutaneous vasculitis is a manifestation or presenting sign of connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, or another condition. Such patients are at risk for poor outcomes related to systemic manifestations of vasculitis, as well as increased severity of the underlying disease. Recognition of this important subset of patients with skin vasculitis enables appropriate workup and successful management.

Systemic lupus erythematosus with inflammatory bowel disease-ulcerative colitis: case report

A 30-year-old female presented to the rheumatology outpatient clinic of the Internal Medicine Department, Ain Shams University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, complaining of a large right leg ulcer consistent with pyoderma gangrenosum. There was history of recurrent attacks of bleeding per rectum of one-year duration. During hospitalization she noticed blurring of vision in the left eye with diffuse blackish discoloration of the feet and toes, consistent with small-vessel vasculitis. Colonoscopy with biopsy and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease-ulcerative colitis (IBD-UC). Meanwhile, the patient fulfilled the SLICC classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): recurrent oral ulcers, positive antinuclear antibody testing, proteinuria >0.5 gm/24-hour urine, positive test for lupus anticoagulant and consumed C3 complement component. Herein we report a rare case of coexistence of SLE and IBD-UC.

Rheumatologic and extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) often present as a complex inflammatory process wherein colon lesions (ulcerative colitis, UC) or widespread ulceration and fissure (Crohn's disease, CD) might be accompanied by ancillary extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) that could involve almost every organ system, but also by autoimmune disorders ranging from psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis to connective tissue diseases. Certain EIMs are more common related to the activity of the IBD (joint, skin, ocular and oral manifestations), other EIMs typically run a course independent of the IBD activity (hepatobiliary disorders) and some are non-specific disorders (osteoporosis and amyloidosis). This paper reviews the most common extraintestinal and rheumatologic manifestations of UC and CD. They may produce greater morbidity than the underlying intestinal disease and may even be the initial presenting symptoms of the IBD. Thus, early recognition of these manifestations should help guide therapy that will reduce overall morbidity in affected patients. Key Message A complete review on the most common extraintestinal and rheumatologic manifestations of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with perforated diverticular disease

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LV) is a small vessel vasculitis associated with infections, connective tissue disease, malignancies and, rarely, gastrointestinal conditions. An association between LV and acute diverticulitis has not previously been reported. LV may be localised to the skin as a purpuric rash or might manifest with systemic involvement, such as of the joints, gastrointestinal tract or kidneys. Management of LV can be medical or surgical, based on the degree of systemic involvement. We present the case of a 56-year-old man with a 2-year history of a purpuric rash associated with diarrhoea, who presented acutely with abdominal pain. Imaging studies revealed sigmoid diverticulitis with a pericolic collection. Operative findings were purulent peritonitis secondary to perforated diverticular abscess, which was treated with a Hartmann's procedure. Postoperatively, the purpuric rash resolved rapidly on treatment with antibiotics and steroids. Histopathology of the resected bowel and skin punch biopsy confirmed sigmoid diverticulitis and LV, respectively.

Long-term risk of mesenteric ischemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a 13-year nationwide cohort study in an Asian population

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have higher risks of developing mesenteric ischemia.

METHODS

We enrolled 9,363 patients who had been hospitalized because of IBD between January 1998 and December 2010, along with 37,452 control patients who were matched at a 1:4 proportion for age, sex, and index year. We accounted the cumulative incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) of developing mesenteric ischemia during the 13-year study period.

RESULTS

Patients with IBD had a considerably higher incidence rate of subsequent mesenteric ischemia compared with the controls (22.7 vs 3.09 per 10,000 person-years), with adjusted HR of 6.33 (95% confidence interval: 4.75 to 8.43). A multivariate stratified analysis showed that the mesenteric ischemia risk after adjustment for comorbidities is significantly higher in patients of all age groups, particularly in patients younger than 44 years (adjusted HR: 48.0; 95% confidence interval: 11.3 to 203.9). Moreover, patients with IBD were at highest risk of developing mesenteric ischemia within the first year of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Careful follow-up and effective therapy are necessary to reduce the excessive risk in these patients.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis in an adolescent with ulcerative colitis: Report of a case and review of the literature

An adolescent female with long-standing, difficult-to-control ulcerative colitis developed leukocytoclastic vasculitis, a rare cutaneous extra-intestinal manifestation of the inflammatory bowel disease. The authors provide a literature review on leukocytoclastic vasculitis complicating ulcerative colitis. Furthermore, the clinical features of leukocytoclastic vasculitis are compared and contrasted with the more common cutaneous extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, erythema nodosum, and pyoderma gangrenosum.

Cutaneous manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: pathophysiology, clinical features, and therapy

The skin is one of the most common extraintestinal organ system affected in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The skin manifestations associated with IBD are polymorphic and can be classified into 4 categories according to their pathophysiology: (1) specific, (2) reactive, (3) associated, and (4) induced by IBD treatment. Cutaneous manifestations are regarded as specific if they share with IBD the same granulomatous histopathological pattern: perianal or metastatic Crohn's disease (commonly presenting with abscesses, fistulas or hidradenitis suppurativa-like features) is the prototype of this setting. Reactive cutaneous manifestations are different from IBD in the histopathology but have close physiopathological links: pyoderma gangrenosum, a neutrophil-mediated autoinflammatory skin disease typically manifesting as painful ulcers, is the paradigm of this group. Among the cutaneous diseases associated with IBD, the most commonly seen are erythema nodosum, a form of panniculitis most commonly involving bilateral pretibial areas, and psoriasis, a T helper 1/T helper 17-mediated erythematous squamous inflammatory disease. Finally, the number of cutaneous adverse reactions because of IBD therapies is progressively increasing. The most frequent drug-induced cutaneous manifestations are psoriasis-like, eczema-like, and lichenoid eruptions, as well as cutaneous lupus erythematosus for biologics, and nonmelanoma skin cancer, mainly basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas for thiopurines.

Cutaneous manifestations of gastrointestinal disease: part II

The gastrointestinal (GI) and cutaneous organ systems are closely linked. In part I of this continuing medical education article, the intricacies of this relationship were explored as they pertained to hereditary polyposis disorders, hamartomatous disorders, and paraneoplastic disease. Part II focuses on the cutaneous system's links to inflammatory bowel disease and vascular disorders. An in-depth analysis of inflammatory bowel disease skin findings is provided to aid dermatologists in recognizing and facilitating early consultation and intervention by gastroenterologists. Cutaneous signs of inflammatory bowel disease include fissures and fistulae, erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, pyostomatitis vegetans, oral aphthous ulcers, cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa, necrotizing vasculitis, and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Additional immune-mediated conditions, such as diverticulitis, bowel-associated dermatosis-arthritis syndrome, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, dermatitis herpetiformis, and Degos disease, in which the skin and GI system are mutually involved, will also be discussed. Genodermatoses common to both the GI tract and the skin include Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, and blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome. Kaposi sarcoma is a neoplastic disease with lesions involving both the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. Acrodermatitis enteropathica, a condition of zinc deficiency, likewise affects both the GI and dermatologic systems. These conditions are reviewed with updates on the genetic basis, diagnostic and screening modalities, and therapeutic options. Finally, GI complications associated with vascular disorders will also be discussed.

Skin manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease that affects the intestinal tract via an inflammatory process. Patients who suffer from IBD often have diseases that affect multiple other organ systems as well. These are called extraintestinal manifestations and can be just as, if not more debilitating than the intestinal inflammation itself. The skin is one of the most commonly affected organ systems in patients who suffer from IBD. The scientific literature suggests that a disturbance of the equilibrium between host defense and tolerance, and the subsequent over-activity of certain immune pathways are responsible for the cutaneous disorders seen so frequently in IBD patients. The purpose of this review article is to give an overview of the types of skin diseases that are typically seen with IBD and their respective pathogenesis, proposed mechanisms, and treatments. These cutaneous disorders can manifest as metastatic lesions, reactive processes to the intestinal inflammation, complications of IBD itself, or side effects from IBD treatments; these can be associated with IBD via genetic linkage, common autoimmune processes, or other mechanisms that will be discussed in this article. Ultimately, it is important for healthcare providers to understand that skin manifestations should always be checked and evaluated for in patients with IBD. Furthermore, skin disorders can predate gastrointestinal symptoms and thus may serve as important clinical indicators leading physicians to earlier diagnosis of IBD.

[Cutaneous vasculitis]

Vasculitis is a term that refers to damage and inflammation of the walls of blood vessels of any size. The classification of types of cutaneous vasculitis continues to be a challenge, probably because of our lack of understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of this condition. Changes in the vessel wall will be visible on microscopy and will enable the different clinical forms to be distinguished according to the caliber of affected vessels, the type of cell that predominates in the inflammatory infiltrate, or the presence of such key findings as extravascular granulomas. Skin manifestations (macules, papules, nodules, livedo reticularis, etc) correlate with the size of the vessel affected. The prognosis in cases of vasculitis with skin involvement will be determined by the presence or absence of extracutaneous disease. Systemic vasculitis shows a predilection for certain organs, such as the kidney or lung. The introduction of immunosuppressant drug treatments has led to evident improvement in survival rates for patients with vasculitis. This review covers practical aspects of the pathophysiology, histopathology, treatment, and differential diagnosis of the main clinical presentations of vasculitis with cutaneous involvement.

Ulcerative colitis associated with leukocytoclastic vasculitis of the skin

Ulcerative colitis may be associated with a number of skin lesions such as erythema nodosum and pyoderma gangrenosum. We here describe an unusual case of a 33-year-old-caucasian male with ulcerative colitis and skin lesions diagnosed as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. An initial treatment with oral deflazacort led to little benefit, while treatment with oral mesalazine caused remission of the skin and intestinal manifestations in 2 weeks.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis as an onset symptom of Crohn's disease

We report the case of an octagenerian who presented with leukocytoclastic vasculitis as the first symptom of Crohn's disease. The patient was admitted with skin rash on the lower extremities and ankles and episodes of bloody diarrhea. Skin and colon biopsies revealed acute leukocytoclastic vasculitis and moderate Crohn's disease, respectively. The patient was treated with intravenous corticosteroids in conjunction with antibiotics and per os mesalazine. Symptoms resolved rapidly within 5 days, and the patient was still asymptomatic on follow-up 3 months later.