DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22516/25007440.397 Case report The skin as a mirror of the gastrointestinal tract Martín Alonso Gómez,1* Adán Lúquez,2 Lina María Olmos.3 1 Associate Professor of Gastroenterology in the Abstract Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit of the National University Hospital and the National University of We present four cases of digestive bleeding whose skin manifestations guided diagnosis prior to endoscopy. Colombia in Bogotá Colombia These cases demonstrate the importance of a good physical examination of all patients rather than just 2 Internist and Gastroenterologist at the National focusing on laboratory tests. University of Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia 3 Dermatologist at the Military University of Colombia and the Dispensario Medico Gilberto Echeverry Keywords Mejia in Bogotá, Colombia Skin, bleeding, endoscopy, pemphigus. *Correspondence:
[email protected]. ......................................... Received: 30/01/18 Accepted: 13/04/18 Despite great technological advances in diagnosis of disea- CASE 1: VULGAR PEMPHIGUS ses, physical examination, particularly an appropriate skin examination, continues to play a leading role in the detec- This 46-year-old female patient suffered an episode of hema- tion of gastrointestinal pathologies. The skin, the largest temesis with expulsion of whitish membranes through her organ of the human body, has an area of 2 m2 and a thick- mouth during hospitalization. Upon physical examination, ness that varies between 0.5 mm (on the eyelids) to 4 mm she was found to have multiple erosions and scaly plaques (on the heel). It weighs approximately 5 kg. (1) Many skin with vesicles that covered the entire body surface. After a manifestations may indicate systemic diseases.