Ischemic colitis due to obstruction of mesenteric and splenic veins: a case report

Ischemic injury to the bowel is a well known disease entity that has a wide spectrum of pathological and clinical findings. A sudden drop in the colonic blood supply is essential to its development. We encountered a 41-year-old male patient, who presented with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. A colonoscopy showed markedly edematous mucosa with tortuous dilatation of the veins and a deep ulceration at the rectosigmoid junction. On an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan and CT angiography, the mesenteric and splenic veins were absent with numerous venous collaterals for drainage. The patient gradually responded to oral aminosalicylate therapy, and was in remission after nine months. In most cases, non-occlusive ischemic injury is caused by idiopathic form and occlusive ischemia is caused by abnormalities of arteries and acute venous thrombosis. However, chronic venous insufficiency due to obstruction of macrovascular mesenteric vein rarely causes ischemia of the bowel. This report describes the first case of ischemic colitis caused by obstruction of the mesenteric and splenic veins.