Chest
Volume 106, Issue 4, October 1994, Pages 1279-1281
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Selected Reports
Ulcerative Tracheobronchitis Years After Colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.106.4.1279Get rights and content

Two men with severe ulcerative colitis developed ulcerative tracheobronchitis 4 and 8 years after total colectomy. Intense plasma cell infiltration of tracheal mucosa and submucosa and destruction of mucous glands occurred, with partial relief of symptoms with corticosteroids. We compare them with the only other case reported, also years after colectomy.

Section snippets

CASE 1

A blacksmith and builder developed ulcerative colitis at age 28 years. He was treated with courses of salazopyrine and prednisolone until a polypoid adenocarcinoma was discovered at the age of 42 years and was removed by panproctocolectomy. Salazopyrin and prednisolone therapy was then stopped. At 44 years he developed a slight wheeze, and was treated intermittently with salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, and beclomethasone. He had not smoked since age 38 years. At 54 years he was referred with a

DISCUSSION

Ulcerative colitis is associated with disease of the airways and also of the lung parenchyma. When drug effects are excluded, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, and bronchitis2 account for nearly half of the reported cases. These have usually occurred at the same time as the ulcerative colitis but occasionally have preceded it or developed soon after colectomy. Severe tracheal inflammation has been described in only one previous case by Wilcox et al.1

Details of our two patients with severe

REFERENCES (8)

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