Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) With Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. A relapsing, immune-modulated illness, it causes inflammation of the small and large intestines. UC is sometimes associated with extra-intestinal manifestations, including autoimmune cytopenias. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare disorder which may induce an antibody-mediated, isolated reduction in platelet counts. ITP can present with extra-intestinal manifestations; the diagnosis follows the exclusion of other etiologies. Co-occurrences of ITP and UC in patients commonly are at the onset of UC or during illness recurrences. The severity of ITP correlates with the degree of UC pathology. We present a unique case of a 70-year-old presenting ulcerative colitis with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.