Inflammatory bowel disease and cerebrovascular arterial and venous thromboembolic events in 4 pediatric patients: a case series and review of the literature.

Inflammatory bowel disease has been linked to cerebrovascular lesions, but the mechanisms of these vascular complications and their frequency among children with inflammatory bowel disease are unclear. We present 4 children with inflammatory bowel disease who developed ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or cerebral sinovenous thrombosis. All 4 patients were female; 3 had Crohn's disease and 1 had indeterminate colitis. All of the patients had additional risk factors for thrombosis including thrombocytosis, severe dehydration attributable to an inflammatory bowel disease exacerbation, and, in 2 instances, genetically mediated coagulation defects. It is believed that the occurrence of thrombotic complications in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease is attributable to multifactorial causes. The current literature on cerebrovascular complications and treatment in the setting of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease is reviewed.