Ischemic Colitis
Colonoscopic findings in a 78 year-old woman who presented with painless rectal bleeding. These four images reflect mucosal changes of ischemia (inadequate blood supply) in increasing severity, from patchy erythema (upper left) to frank ulceration (lower right).
Left: 77 year-old woman with rectal bleeding. Colonoscopy revealed broad ulcers with overlying exudate, and mucosal friability.
Right: 71 year-old woman with vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Colonoscopy revealed severe colitis with ulcers and diffuse mucosal oozing of blood.
Severe ischemic colitis in the ascending colon of a 60 year-old man with four months of increasing abdominal pain and weight loss.
Findings included multiple focal abcesses (left) and areas of confluent ischemia bordering on necrosis
(right).
75 year old man developed abdominal distention, persistent hypotension and acidosis folowing surgical repair of a ruptured
abdominal aortic aneurysm, raising suspicion of ischemic bowel. Colonoscopy demonstrated diffuse mucosal pallor
likey due to vasoconstriction casued by high dose pressors. Otherwise the cecum, ascending and transverse colon appeared
normal. There was an abrupt transition to abnormal mucosa at the splenic flexure with purple discoloration, superficial
ulceration, patchy exudate and loss of normal vascular pattern. There was a second abrupt transition to normal mucosa at
the rectosigmoid junction.
Endoscopic images Copyright © Atlanta South Gastroenterology, P.C. All rights reserved.
Logo is Registered Trademark ® of Atlanta South Gastroenterology, P.C.
This site is presented for educational and general informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice for any specific medical condition or individual patient. We regret that we cannot provide individualized medical advice online, either via this web site or via email. Please refer to our "Notable Web Sites" section, which offers links to several excellent online sources of additional medical information.