Doctors identify four autoimmune diseases in one patient

Medical professionals have documented a rare case involving a 40-year-old Chinese woman diagnosed with four distinct autoimmune diseases. The patient had previously been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis, affecting her large intestine, liver, and bile ducts.

Following blood tests that revealed severe iron deficiency and low hemoglobin levels, doctors investigated potential causes of blood loss. After ruling out gastrointestinal bleeding and gynecological issues, examinations revealed that the patient suffered from an inability to absorb iron due to severely thinned gastric mucosa. This led to the identification of a fourth condition: autoimmune gastritis.

The destruction of acid-producing cells in the stomach hindered the absorption of iron from food. While the case suggested a possible rare Type 3 autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome, doctors could not definitively confirm this because the patient’s thyroid had been previously removed due to a tumor.