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Updated: May 24, 2026

Multimodality Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ischemia
Published on: July 21, 2023
Extensive bowel ischemia with heavy alcohol consumption: report of a case
Ji Hyoun Lee1, Gyoung Tae Noh, Ryung-Ah Lee
1Department of Surgery, Gyeonggi-do Medical Center Pocheon Hospital, Pocheon, Korea.
Abstract:
Alcohol is well-recognized systemic toxin that causes numerous adverse effects, including psychosocial problems, fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and atherosclerosis. The intra-abdominal complications caused by acute alcohol consumption have not been defined. We report an 80-year-old man with sub-acute small bowel and colonic ischemia after heavy alcohol intake in one sitting. We performed a resection of gangrenous bowel segments. Microscopically, there were diffuse infarction, with vasoconstriction of the mesenteric vessels in the ileum and colon without any thrombotic occlusion of the intestinal vessels. The clinicians should always be assured by confirmation of a history of recent substance abuse in patients with unexplained abdominal pain, and mesenteric ischemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute or chronic abdominal pain in consumers of alcohol.
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