| Theme | Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Ischemic Colitis | |
| Publish Date | 1997/01 | |
| Author | Tetsuhisa Yamamoto | 1st Department of Surgery, National Defense Medical College |
| Author | Shoetsu Tamakuma | 1st Department of Surgery, National Defense Medical College |
| [ Summary ] | This article reviews the clinical features of ischemic colitis with special referencc to rectal bleeding and differential diagnosis from the hemorrhagic colitis associated with antibiotics.We identified 21 patients with ischemic colitis over a 17-year period: 13 with the transient form; 5 with the gangrenous form; 3 with the stricture form. Surgical procedures were performed on the 8 patients with the gangrenous or stricture form. The clinical hallmarks were an acute onset of abdominal pain and rectal bleeding. Barium enema examination and colonoscopy revealed longitudinal ulcers and edema involving the left side of the colon in some patients with the transient form. These features were then compared with those of hemorrhagic colitis associated with antibiotics. Although the clinical symptoms and the initial radiographic or endoscopic findings were similar in the two diseases , a history of antibiotic administration and the site of involvement may facilitate diagnosis : the transient form of ischemic colitis usually involves the left side of the colon, while hemorrhagic colitis affects mainly the transverse colon. | |