title: Experience and results on the surgical and medical treatment of ischaemic colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse differences between patients with transient forms of ischemic colitis managed with medical treatment and those developing gangrenous forms subsidiaries of surgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study (1991-1998) of the ischemic colitis cases occurred in our center separating into two groups according to treatment received (A group: medical, 19 patients; B group: surgical, 10 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypertension mainly appear in B group being average age higher in this group than in A group (p < 0.05). Other risk factors analysed such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure or consume of different drugs appear in similar way in both groups. In A group patients clinical presentation hematochezia is typical while B group use to start with acute abdomen associated to abdominal distension and hyperleukocytosis (p < 0.05). In group B average estance, morbidity and mortality have been higher than in A (17.4 vs 8.6 days 70 vs 5%, 40 vs 0%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension and advanced age are associated risk factors of gangrenous ischemic colitis. The classic clinical presentation of abdominal pain and hematochezia is typical in transient forms. Patients who need a surgical operation for ischemic colitis have a high morbimortality.
authors.affiliation: Digestive and Surgery Services, Hospital de Sagunto, Valencia, Spain. med008200@nacom.es
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pla Martí
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alós Company
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ruiz Carmona
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solana Bueno
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Roig Vila
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies