Abstract:

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a progressive inflammatory disease (IBD) of the bowel which can be accompanied by extraintestinal findings such as peripheral and axial arthropathies. Patients with UC sometimes display rheumatoid pattern polyarthropathy which is challenging to differ from rheumatoid arthritis. We describe a case with rheumatoid pattern polyarthropathy complicating UC and her favourable response to infliximab therapy. A 25-year-old female with a diagnosis of UC was admitted due to swelling and pain in multiple joints. Laboratory tests revealed elevated acute phase reactants. Since the patient was refractory to the combination therapy comprising methotrexate, sulphasalazine and steroid, she was started on an infliximab regimen. She experienced an improvement both in terms of pain scores and biochemical findings. The patient was asymptomatic with reduced acute phase reactants following a 6-monthcourse of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy. Infliximab serves as an effective treatment option for the management of rheumatoid pattern peripheral polyarthritis associated with UC.

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