Autoimmune pancreatitis and ulcerative colitis: A clinical challenge of a true association

• Main Author: Barreiro,Pedro
• Publication Date: 2013
• Other Authors: Marques,Pedro Pinto, Couto,Gilberto, Serra,David, Chagas,Cristina, Matos,Leopoldo
• Format: Report
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0872-81782013000100008
• topic: Autoimmune pancreatitis; Chronic pancreatitis; Ulcerative colitis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Immunosuppression

Autoimmune pancreatitis is emerging as a well-defined clinical entity, yet its diagnosis and therapeutic approach still constitute a clinical challenge. Its association to other autoimmune diseases, namely ulcerative colitis, is known although the exact relationship between the two entities is not completely clarified. We present the case of a patient who developed obstructive jaundice with later onset of blood-stained diarrhea, leading to a final diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis and ulcerative colitis. We make a brief revision of autoimmune pancreatitis, its relationship with ulcerative colitis and therapeutic approaches of the same, namely the eventual necessity of immunosuppressive therapy.