ANEMIA IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE MORE THAN AN EXTRAINTESTINAL COMPLICATION.

The most common hematologic complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)--ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease is anemia. Anemia in patients with IBD may be a result of iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency; anemia of chronic disease and hemolytic anemia are other causes in these patients. Factors contributing to the development of anemia include chronic gastrointestinal blood loss, vitamin B12 malabsorption secondary to terminal ileitis, folate deficiency as a result of sulfasalazine therapy.

INFLAMMATORY ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM--A FORM OF CHRONIC PERIAORTITIS.

Chronic periaortitis represents a unique pathogenic concept for three entities: Inflammatory Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Idiopathic Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and Perianeurysmal Retroperitoneal Fibrosis. The fundamental meaning of an inflammatory reaction to advanced atherosclerosis has been developed on the bottom of clinical and histological features. The triad of abdominal pain, weight loss and elevated inflammatory markers: erythrocyte sedimentation rate/C-reactive protein in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms revealed on contrast-enhanced computer tomography is highly suggestive for inflammatory aneurysm.