ANKMJ
Ankyra Medical Journal

Ankyra Medical Journal (AnkMJ), formerly known as the Journal of Translational and Practical Medicine, regularly publishes international quality issues in the field of Medicine in the light of current information.

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Letter to the Editor
Unexpected etiology of massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood transfusion: crohn's disease, syphilis, or hematological malignancy?
Abstract
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that may involve any segment of the gastrointestinal tract and typically presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and occasionally hematochezia. Crohn's disease is difficult to diagnose and can be confused with intestinal involvement in various infections, including tuberculosis.Although mild gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is relatively common, massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding requiring transfusion is rare and should prompt careful reconsideration of the initial diagnosis and evaluation for alternative or concomitant etiologies. Here, we present a patient initially diagnosed with Crohn’s disease who developed life-threatening lower gastrointestinal bleeding, ultimately found to have infectious and hematological conditions contributing to the clinical picture.

Keywords : Crohn's disease, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, syphilis, hematological malignancy

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Article available in :
Volume 5, Issue 2, 2026
Page : 61-62
https://doi.org/10.51271/ANKMJ-0068
Article Information
Received : 29 Ara 2025
Accepted : 08 Şub 2026
Published : 25 Mar 2026
Corresponding Author :

Alpaslan Tanoğlu: Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Park Göztepe Hospital Complex, Faculty of Medicine, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Turkey

[email protected]
Citation : Taşkın C, Tanoğlu A. Unexpected etiology of massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood transfusion: Crohn's disease, syphilis, or hematological malignancy? Ank Med J. 2026;5(2):61-62. doi:10.51271/ANKMJ-0068

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