Ulcerative Colitis

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 366; no. 9; pp. 861 - 863
• Main Authors: Hellman, Richard N, Bachmayer, Karl, Fassi, Daniel El, Nielsen, Claus H, Fiocchi, Claudio, Danese, Silvio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 01-03-2012
• Subjects: Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Biological Factors - therapeutic use; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Humans; Inflammatory bowel disease; Morbidity; Mortality; Thrombocytosis; Thromboembolism; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1113995

To the Editor:
In their recent review article, Danese and Fiocchi (Nov. 3 issue)
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do not emphasize the importance of thromboembolic disease as a complication of ulcerative colitis. Patients with ulcerative colitis are at increased risk for thromboembolic disease and stroke, which in some series are the third most common cause of death.
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Thromboembolic disease has been associated with flares in active disease, anemia, thrombocytosis, and hypercoagulability; the associated risk of death is 25%, and there is substantial morbidity.
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The incidence of thromboembolic disease is increasing in patients with ulcerative colitis. Two thirds of thromboemboli are venous and . . .