title: Ischemic colitis: clinical practice in diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Ischemic colitis is the most common form of ischemic injury of the gastrointestinal tract and can present either as an occlusive or a non-occlusive form. It accounts for 1 in 1000 hospitalizations but its incidence is underestimated because it often has a mild and transient nature. The etiology of ischemic colitis is multifactorial and the clinical presentation variable. The diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical suspicion, radiographic, endoscopic and histological findings. Therapy and outcome depends on the severity of the disease. Most cases of the non-gangrenous form are transient and resolve spontaneously without complications. On the other hand, high morbidity and mortality and urgent operative intervention are the hallmarks of gangrenous ischemic colitis.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit Venizelion General Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulou
authors.forename: Ioannis-E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Koutroubakis
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones