Rheumatoid vasculitis of the colon presenting as pancolitis.

This report describes a patient with pancolitis resulting from rheumatoid vasculitis. Corticosteroid treatment reduced colonic inflammation but colectomy was required to control hemorrhage. The case illustrates the need to recognize colitis as a manifestation of rheumatoid vasculitis so that new treatment modalities may be employed to achieve a more successful medical management. The appearance of discrete colonic ulcerations following corticosteroid treatment of pancolitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis should further suggest the diagnosis of intestinal vasculitis.