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A Case of Oral-contraceptive Related Ischemic Colitis in Young Woman

Choon Sik Seon1, Young Sook Park, Se Hwan Park

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Clinical Endoscopy
|June 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Ischemic colitis typically affects older adults. However, this case highlights oral contraceptives as a potential cause in young women, suggesting a need for broader consideration in diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ischemic colitis is commonly diagnosed in elderly patients.
  • Established causes include cardiac dysfunction, hypovolemia, and certain medications like estrogen.
  • Estrogen's role in ischemic colitis pathogenesis remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of ischemic colitis in a young woman.
  • To investigate potential risk factors for ischemic colitis in younger demographics.
  • To raise awareness regarding oral contraceptives as a possible etiology.

Main Methods:

  • Case report presentation.
  • Review of patient medical history.
  • Literature review on estrogen-induced ischemic colitis.

Main Results:

  • A 26-year-old woman presented with ischemic colitis.
  • The patient had a history of long-term oral contraceptive use.
  • No other significant risk factors for ischemic colitis were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Oral contraceptives should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic colitis in young women.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of estrogen-induced ischemic colitis.
  • This case broadens the understanding of risk factors for ischemic colitis beyond the elderly population.

Keywords:
Ischemic colitisOral contraceptives

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