Coombs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia in ulcerative colitis--a report of two cases.

Two cases of ulcerative colitis with a positive Coombs test are reported herein. In a 30 year old woman, hemolytic anemia was well controlled by excision of a rectal stump left over from a former operation. A 53 year old woman had a positive Coombs test without clinical hemolytic anemia 10 years after undergoing a total procto-colectomy with ileo-anal anastomosis. Thus we concluded that total procto-colectomy may be preventive, as well as therapeutic, for Coombs positive hemolytic anemia associated with ulcerative colitis.