| [ Summary ] |
Obstructive colitis is nonspecific inflammation that occurs in the colonic segments proximal to a completely or partially obstructing lesions such as colorectal cancer. Obstructive colitis is attributed to elevated intestinal pressure, intestinal spasm, intestinal bacterial overgrowth owing to stagnation of intestinal contents, and blood flow disturbances or ischemia of the intestinal wall. The mainstay of treatment for obstructive colitis is resection of the primary obstructive lesion and the segments proximal to the obstruction, which show severe inflammation. Persistence of inflammation and/or ulcers is associated with postoperative complications. In this article, we present an overview of the pathophysiology, clinicopathological features, and the treatment of obstructive colitis. |