title: Gastrointestinal manifestations in systemic autoimmune diseases.
abstract: In an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks and harms the body's own tissues. The systemic autoimmune diseases include collagen vascular diseases, the systemic vasculitides, Wegener granulomatosis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome. These disorders can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary system and pancreas. They can cause a variety of gastrointestinal manifestations that are influenced by the pathophysiologic characteristics of the underlying disease process. There is a wide variation of gastrointestinal manifestations from these autoimmune disorders including, but not limited to: oral ulcers, dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, fecal incontinence, pseudo-obstruction, perforation and gastrointestinal bleeding. Clinical workup should be initiated by the patient's subjective complaints. In this review, we analyze the effects of autoimmune diseases on the gastrointestinal tract.
authors: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine,"Titu Maiorescu" University, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Cojocaru
authors: Inimioara Mihaela
authors: IM
authors: Cojocaru
authors: Isabela
authors: I
authors: Silosi
authors: Camelia Doina
authors: CD
authors: Vrabie