[Septic portal vein thrombosis as a rare complication of Crohn disease with retroperitoneal abscess].

Portal vein thrombosis is a rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease and occurs particularly in patients with ulcerative colitis. This report describes a patient with known Crohn's disease since 1980 who developed retroperitoneal abscesses and subsequently a septic portal vein thrombosis. After 10 years of remission, clinical deterioration, jaundice, and fever occurred. An abdominal CT-study confirmed the ultrasonic presumptive diagnosis of two retroperitoneal abscesses close to the pancreas tail. Another CT, one week later, showed furthermore a portal vein thrombosis. Only by intensive care treatment was it possible to control the critical situation.