Clinical Features of 36 Patients with Ischemic Colitis

Objective:To evaluate clinical and endoscopic characteristic of ischemic colitis (IC),and to find the methods for the early diagnosis of IC.Methods:The clinical data of 36 patients diagnosed as IC from January 2003 to May 2008 were reviewed.All patients were underwent colonoscopy within 10 days,and 20 patients were biopsied during colonoscopy.Results:Thirty-six cases (16 men and 20 women),age from 43 to 85 were enrolled.IC usually presented with sudden onset of abdominal pain and hematochezia.The ischemic lesions were most often found on the left colon.It included transient or reversible colitis in 31 cases,stricture colitis in 4 cases and gangrene colitis was found in 1 case.Pathologic changes varied with the duration and severity of the injury.Conclusions:Colonoscopy is the main method for the diagnosis of IC.It should be performed in the diagnosis of IC at the early stage of the onset of symptoms.