Combined portal, splenic and mesenteric venous thrombosis in inactive ulcerative colitis with heterozygous mutation in MTHFR gene: A rare case of thrombophilia

• Main Authors: Gül Gürsoy, Ahmet Cimbek, Yasar Acar, Birsen Erol, Hayriye Cankar Dal, Nuray Evrin, Asli Gungor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2011-01-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Thrombophilia; Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Portal Vein Thrombosis; Mesentery Vein Thrombosis; Splenic Vein Thrombosis; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene
• Online Access: http://www.jmsjournal.net/article.asp?issn=1735-1995;year=2011;volume=16;issue=11;spage=1500;epage=1506;aulast=Gürsoy

Thrombophilia is a rare but potentially catastrophic phenomenon occurring in patients having tendency of thrombosis. It may lead to serious complications. The etiology of thrombophilia is thought to be multifactorial and related to both acquired and inherited factors. Inflammatory bowel disease is an acquired cause of thrombophilia. Thromboembolic events are seen during inflammatory bowel disease, especially during the active period of the disease. In inflammatory bowel disease, thrombus formation in portal, splenic and mesenteric veins are not common. Besides, the association of genetic disorders related to metabolism of homocysteine with inflammatory bowel disease has been evidenced, especially in Crohn disease and rarely in ulcerative colitis. We present a rare case of ulcerative colitis in association with combined portal, splenic and mesenteric vein thrombosis. The patient was recently diagnosed with the disease which was in the inactive period. Interestingly, our patient was also heterozygous for the mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene.