Small Bowel Stricture Caused by Rheumatoid Vasculitis

Small bowel involvement in rheumatoid arthritis is rare and is caused by vasculitis, which results in ulceration, perforation, and necrosis of the small bowel. The authors present a case of rheumatoid vasculitis associated with a small bowel stricture. The patient had a 3-week history of daily postprandial bloating, abdominal cramping, and vomiting. Barium study demonstrated partial small bowel obstruction. Pathologic examination of a resected segment of the small bowel proved that the stricture was caused by rheumatoid vasculitis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of such an association in the radiology literature.