Gangrene of the digits of the right lower limb in a patient with homozygous sickle cell disease and ulcerative colitis.
Thrombosis may play an important role in the pathophysiology of certain complications of sickle cell disease (SCD). While the association between SCD and ulcerative colitis (UC) is still debatable, inflammatory bowel disease is known to be associated with an increased incidence of thromboembolic disease. We report a case of a 16-year old girl known to have homozygous SCD and also diagnosed with UC who presented with digital ischemia of her right lower limb. This led to gangrene and subsequent amputation of the first, second and third digits of that limb. This case highlights that patients with both UC and SCD may have an increased risk of thromboembolism and raises the question as to whether patients with UC and SCD should be screened for thrombophilia.
Sickle Cell Unit, Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), University of the West Indies , Kingston.
Angela E
AE
Rankine-Mullings
Sickle Cell Unit, Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), University of the West Indies , Kingston.
Jennifer M
JM
Knight-Madden
Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), University of the West Indies , Kingston.
Marvin
M
Reid
Epidemiology Research Unit, Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), University of the West Indies , Mona, Jamaica.
Trevor S
TS
Ferguson
digital ischaemia; gangrene; homozygous sickle cell disease; thromboembolic disease; ulcerative colitis