Extraintestinal manifestations in a large series of Italian inflammatory bowel disease patients

AIM:To investigate prevalence,type and time of onset of extraintestinal manifestations(EIMs)in a series of Italian inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)patients.METHODS:Data of 811 IBD consecutive patients,first referred to our Centre from 2000 to 2011,were retrospectively evaluated.RESULTS:Eight hundred and eleven IBD patients(437M,374 F)were studied:595 ulcerative colitis(UC)(73.4%)and 216 Crohn’s disease(CD)(26.6%).Among these,329(40.6%)showed EIMs:210 UC(35.3%)and119 CD(55.1%)(P<0.0001).Considering the time of the diagnosis of IBD,37 EIMs(11.2%)were developed before,229(69.6%)after and 63(19.2%)were simultaneous.The type of EIM were as follows:240 musculoskeletal(29.6%),in 72 CD patients and in 168 UC(P<0.0001);47 mucocutaneous(5.8%),in 26 CD and in21 UC(P=0.0049);26 ocular(3.2%),in 16 CD and in10 UC(CD 7.4%vs UC 1.7%,P=0.0093);6 hepatobiliary(0.8%);10 endocrinological(1.2%).In particular,with regards to the involvement of the musculoskeletal system,arthritis Type 1 was found in 41 CD(19%)and in 61 UC(10.2%)(P=0.0012)and Type 2 in 25 CD(11.6%)and in 100 UC(16.8%)(P=0.0012).CONCLUSION:Mucocutaneous manifestations,arthritis Type 1 and uveitis were significantly more frequent in CD than UC.The complications of the musculoskeletal system were the mostly observed ones,often with symptoms more severe than intestinal ones,confirming the need for close cooperation with rheumatologists.

Schwannoma of the rectum:A case report and literature review

Schwannoma is a tumor originating from the Schwann cells. Gastrointestinal schwannomas are uncommon stromal tumors of the intestinal tract and, in particular, rectal schwannomas are extremely rare. In fact, it is well established that schwannomas appear more frequently in the stomach and in the small intestine, while location in the colon or in the rectum is uncommon. Reading the literature, only few cases of rectal schwannoma have been reported. Their diagnosis is confirmed by the immunohisto chemical panel(S-100 protein). When these tumors are located in the colon and in the rectum, radical excision with wide margins is mandatory, due to their tendency to recur locally or become malignant, if left untreated. In the present study, we describe a case of a rectal schwannoma occured in a 72-year-old man, presented as a small polypoid lesion, which was successfully removed in toto by hot-biopsy, during the same endoscopy, due to the dimensons. No recurrence of the lesion was observed after 6 mo of follow-up.

Infliximab for the treatment of pouchitis

Pouchitis is not a rare complication that develops after an ileal-pouch anastomosis, performed after colectomy in patients refractory to treatment or with complicated ulcerative colitis. This condition may become chronic and unresponsive to medical therapies, including corticosteroids, antibiotics and probiotics. The advent of biological therapies(tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors) has changed the course of these complications. In particular, in these cases, infliximab(IFX) may represent a safe and effective therapy in order to avoid the subsequent operation for a permanent ileostomy. This article reviews the therapeutic effects of one of the most widely used anti-tumor necrosis factor-α molecules, IFX, for the treatment of complicated pouchitis(refractory to conventional treatment and/or fistulizing).