title: Idiopathic myelofibrosis associated with ulcerative colitis.
abstract: A patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) who developed idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM) is reported. The initial diagnosis of UC was established by colonoscopy and large bowel biopsy, performed after a one-month history of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. The patient showed a favorable response to prednisone and mesalamine treatment and six months later he developed a new episode of UC, which was successfully controlled with treatment. However, two years later splenomegaly and anemia were observed, with aniso-poikilocytosis, tear-drop cells, immature myeloid precursors in the peripheral blood, and increased serum LDH, arising the suspicion of IM, a diagnosis that was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. The present case represents a new association of IM with an autoimmune disease and gives support to the hypothesis of a possible immune basis of some IM cases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Postgraduate School of Hematology Farreras-Valentí, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arellano-Rodrigo
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esteve
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giné
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Panés
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cervantes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome