Colitis Flashcards
What is the most frequent form of intestinal ischemia? who has the highest risk?
Ischemic Colitis
highest risk = pts w recent cardiovascular surgery
How does ischemic injury to the colon usually occur? how is this aggravated?
hypoperfusion to the intramural vessels of the colon MUCOSAL wall (rarely transmural)
aggravated by chronic atherosclerosis/vasculitis
What two areas of the colon are most at risk for ischemia? What area is usually spared?
Watershed areas:
- Splenic flexure
- Left colon (rectro sigmoid jxn)
rectum is usually spare (dual blood supply)
What is the clinical presentation of colonic ischemia
Sudden-onset of severe crampy left lower quadrant abdominal pain
followed shortly after w Hematochezia*
AFEBRILE
What are complications of Ischemic colitis
Colon gangrene
bowel perforation
Chronic Segmental Ulcerating Colitis
Colonic strictures
What does Ischemic Colitis look like on abdominal xray?
“thumbprinting” = thickening of the colon wall caused by intramural hemorrhage
What does Ischmic Colitis look like on CT?
Double Halo Sign - bowel wall thickening
What does colonoscopy look like in Ischemic Colitis?
Submucosal hemorrhage, ulceration or necrosis
Segmental distribution of ischemia
What is the Tx for Ischemic Colitis?
Most pts: Sx resolve within 24-48 hrs
Tx: IVF’s, bowel rest
What is the endoscopic appearance of crohn’s colitis?
Rake ulcers - deep, linear
Aphthous ulcers
Cobblestone appearance
rectal sparing
What are the Dx serum markers for IBD:
- UC
- CD
- pANCA
2. ASCA
What are general histological findings in IBD?
- acute inflammation:
neutrophilis cryptitis - chronic inflammation:
Crypt distortion, plasmacytic infiltration of the lamina propria
What is Microscopic Colitis?
Chronic diarrhea w. voluminous, watery, nonbloody diarrhea in pts with NORMAL endoscopic appearance but biopsies have histological evidence of inflammation
What are the two histologic types of microscopic colitis? what are characteristics
Lymphocytic
Collagenous - subepithelial collagen deposition
-both have lymphocytic infiltration of the colonic epithelium
Who does Microscopic Colitis affect the most? What is it associated with?
Female 10:1
a/w autoimmune diseases
induced by NSAIDS