Comprehensive reproductive healthcare for women with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: Addressing rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease through life's stages.

Immuno-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease are characterised by pathophysiological mechanisms wherein the immune system erroneously targets the body's own tissues. This review explores the heightened vulnerability of women with IMIDs, influenced by hormonal modulators like estrogen and progesterone. The challenges this poses are multifaceted, encompassing the impact of active disease and medical treatments throughout life stages, including family planning, fertility, and menopause.

From inflammation to colitis-associated colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: Pathogenesis and impact of current therapies.

The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is higher in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Population-based data from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) estimate that the risk of CRC is approximately 2- to 3-fold that of the general population; patients with Crohn's disease appear to have a similar increased risk. However, the true extent of colitis-associated cancer (CAC) in undertreated IBD is unclear.

Adenocarcinoma below stapled ileoanal anastomosis after restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis.

A case of adenocarcinoma arising in a 39-year-old patient after restorative proctocolectomy is reported. The patient underwent an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with double-stapled technique for severe ulcerative colitis 18 years earlier, without evidence of associated neoplasm or dysplasia in operative specimen. After endoscopic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, the patient was submitted to excision of the pouch and permanent ileostomy, followed by combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans infection and Crohn's disease in an immunocompetent patient.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a human pathogen ubiquitously present in the environment. It primarily affects immunocompromised patients, but individuals with no underlying disease or immunodeficiency can also be affected. We herein describe the case of a patient found to have Crohn's disease and disseminated cryptococcosis simultaneously.

Erratum to: A novel frameshift mutation in exon 12 of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene in an Italian family with familial adenomatous polyposis and desmoid tumour.

[This corrects the article on p. 235 in vol. 4, PMID: 20589194.

Treatment of complex perianal fistulas in Crohn disease: infliximab, surgery or combined approach.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of the management of perianal fistulas in Crohn disease between infliximab, surgery or a combination of surgery and infliximab.

Methods: We prospectively subdivided 35 consecutive patients with Crohn disease with complex perianal fistulas into 3 groups: 11 patients received infliximab (5 mg/kg intravenously at 0, 2 and 6 wk; group A), 10 underwent surgery (group B) and 14 received a combination of surgery and postoperative infliximab (group C). We evaluated the rate and time of healing of perianal fistulas, the rate of recurrences and time to relapse at a median follow-up of 18.

The effect of pelvic septic complications on function and quality of life after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: a single center experience.

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the procedure of choice for surgical treatment of intractable ulcerative colitis (UC). Surgical complications occurring in the short-term, like pelvic sepsis, are responsible for pouch dysfunction. We prospectively evaluated 118 patients with IPAA for UC operated on between 1987 and 2002.