Crohn's disease and gastrocnemius vasculitis: two new cases.

Disdier, P; Swiader, L; Harlé, J R; Pellissier, J F; Figarella-Branger, D; Veit, V; Gérolami, A; Arlet, P h et al. · Am J Gastroenterol · 1997

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

We report two cases of gastrocnemius muscle vasculitis revealing Crohn's disease. Gastrocnemius muscle biopsy evidenced a necrotizing vasculitis resembling panarteritis nodosa in one case; a nonnecrotizing vasculitis was found in the other case. Neither of the patients had systemic vasculitic involvement, and the muscle disease resembled calf muscle-located panarteritis nodosa. Our literature review shows five cases of calf-located myalgia occurring during Crohn's disease characterized by heterogenous histopathological findings including vasculitic and myositic lesions. Thus, faced with calf-located myalgia with vasculitis or myositis, a search for Crohn's disease is probably necessary to determine precisely the frequency and the etiopathogenic mechanisms of this association.

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