[Acquired protein C deficiency in ulcerative colitis. The cause of thromboembolic complications].

Three patients with an acute exacerbation of ulcerative colitis (a 40-year-old and a 31-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman) developed a protein C deficiency (serum protein C activity between 32 and 48%). In the two men the protein C deficiency was diagnosed only after the onset of severe thromboembolic complications (cavernous sinus thrombosis; pulmonary embolism) during heparin treatment. But in the woman protein C activity was measured immediately after hospital admission (in the knowledge of the first two cases) even before heparin administration was started. All three patients received treatment with sulphasalazine (3 g daily) and fluocortolone (60 mg daily), as well as full heparinization (22,500-36,000 IU daily). Protein C activity returned to normal on remission of the ulcerative colitis (in one case only after subtotal colectomy). These case reports show that acquired protein C deficiency can be reversed by rigorous treatment of the underlying disease.