Ulcerative colitis associated with Takayasu's arteritis in a child.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory diseases of unknown aetiology, and their coexistence is very rare. A 14-year-old Turkish girl presented with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. UC was diagnosed based on physical examination and laboratory investigations and was confirmed by colonoscopic biopsies. TA developed approximately 1 year later, and was diagnosed with angiography performed for ongoing severe abdominal pain in spite of well-controlled UC. Patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases such as UC must be investigated for other inflammatory diseases such as TA, especially if the response to immunosuppressant therapy is unsatisfactory.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from our patients suggest that paediatricians must remain alert to the possibility of abdominal vasculitis in patients with UC and unresolved abdominal pain in spite of clinical remission.