[Unusual association: hepatic peliosis and Crohn's disease].
BACKGROUND
Hepatobiliary disorders occurs in about 10 to 30% of inflammatory bowel diseases. Fatty liver and gallstones are preferentially described with Crohn's disease. Conversely, peliosis hepatis has been only exceptionally reported in association with inflammatory bowel diseases. We describe here a case of peliosis hepatis complicating a misdiagnosed Crohn's disease.


METHODS
A 24-year-old woman was referred because of a hepatomegaly and a deterioration of the general state. The patient complained about diarrhea for 3 months and about an episode of bloody stools. There was an aphthous-like lesion on the tongue. X-ray pull-through revealed a typical aspect of terminal ileitis as seen in Crohn's disease. The liver was heterogeneous. Liver biopsy revealed a peliosis hepatis. No other possible cause of peliosis hepatis was found. Therefore, in this case, peliosis hepatis, revealed by the hepatomegaly, was associated with Crohn's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Association between Crohn's disease and peliosis hepatis has only exceptionally been described. A priori, this complication is not a pejorative feature in inflammatory bowel disease. The pathophysiological significance of this association remains unknown.
Launay
D
D
Service de médecine interne A, hôpital Claude-Huriez, CHRU, 1, place de Verdun, 59037 Lille, France. dlaunay@caramail.com
Hatron
P Y
PY
Queyrel
V
V
Leteurtre
E
E
Beaulieu
S
S
Lemann
M
M
Hachulla
E
E
Lecomte-Houcke
M
M
Cortot
A
A
Devulder
B
B
D000328:Adult; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010382:Peliosis Hepatis / Q000209:etiology*