Necrobiotic Pulmonary Nodules in Ulcerative Colitis: Not Just a “Crohnic” Phenomenon

A 44-year-old patient with known ulcerative colitis presented with abdominal pain and an abdominal mass. CT revealed cecal stranding, a mass at the left colonic flexure involving the pancreas and multiple lesions in the lungs, retroperitoneum and liver. The patient had also developed a scalp rash as well as impaired hearing. Biopsies from the abdominal mass and lungs revealed necrotic inflammation, and the clinical suspicion of malignancy could not be ruled out. After further examination, the patient was treated with high-dose steroids, which rapidly reduced the extraintestinal manifestations. Due to a persistent abscess formation at the left colonic flexure and pancreas, the patient was referred to our hospital for a total colectomy. Histology showed acute and chronic inflammation with cryptitis, indicating ulcerative colitis. Our case is a rare presentation of extensive extraintestinal disease in organs such as the lungs and liver, as well as necrotic mass formation at the colon site which mimicked malignancy.

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Extensive extraintestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis in a patient initially suspected to have disseminated malignancy

Juul

Dahl

Chiranth

et al. 2021

BMJ Case Rep

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Imaging findings of thoracic manifestations of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

Cassius De Linval,

Barat,

Aissaoui

et al. 2024

Insights Imaging

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Thoracic manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are rare, occurring in less than 1% of patients. Unlike most other extra-intestinal manifestations, they predominate in patients with ulcerative colitis rather than in Crohn’s disease. In most patients, thoracic involvement follows the onset of IBD by several years. However, thoracic involvement may also occur synchronously or even precede the onset of digestive symptoms. The thoracic manifestations of IBD include airway involvement and parenchymal lung abnormalities. Airways are the most frequent anatomical site for thoracic involvement in IBD. Airway manifestations usually develop several years after the onset of intestinal manifestations, preferentially when the latter are stable or in remission. Airway manifestations include bronchial wall thickening, bronchiectasis, small airway disease, and tracheal wall thickening. Parenchymal lung abnormalities are less prevalent in IBD and include organizing pneumonia, necrobiotic nodules, noncaseating granulomatous nodules, drug-induced pneumonia, and rarely interstitial lung diseases. The differential diagnosis between organizing pneumonia, necrobiotic nodules, and noncaseating granulomatous nodules is difficult and usually requires histopathological analysis for a definite diagnosis. Radiologists play a key role in the detection of thoracic manifestations of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and, therefore, need to be familiar with their imaging findings. This article aims to offer an overview of the imaging findings of thoracic manifestations in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Critical relevance statement Thoracic manifestations of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include tracheal involvement, bronchiectasis, small airway disease, and parenchymal lung abnormalities such as organizing pneumonia and necrobiotic nodules. These rare manifestations (< 1% of patients) more often affect patients with ulcerative colitis. Key Points Thoracic manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease are rare, occurring in less than 1% of patients. Thoracic manifestations are more frequent in patients with ulcerative colitis than Crohn’s disease. Bronchial disease is the most frequent thoracic manifestation of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Graphical Abstract

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Necrobiotic Pulmonary Nodules in Ulcerative Colitis: Not Just a “Crohnic” Phenomenon

Cited by 2 publications

References 20 publications

Extensive extraintestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis in a patient initially suspected to have disseminated malignancy

Extensive extraintestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis in a patient initially suspected to have disseminated malignancy

Imaging findings of thoracic manifestations of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

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