title: Idiopathic phlebosclerotic colitis: a rare entity of chronic ischemic colitis.
abstract: Colonic wall thickening is frequently encountered in various conditions, from acute or chronic inflammatory disease to colorectal carcinoma. Colonic wall thickening may be accompanied by calcifications in mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon, leiomyosarco-ma of the colon, schistosomiasis japonica, and phlebosclerotic colitis. Phlebosclerotic colitis is a rare entity of chronic ischemic colitis associated with sclerosis and fibrosis of mesenteric veins. Although its development is usually insidious, and, thus its diagnosis can be delayed, characteristic findings in phlebosclerotic colitis are calcifications of mesenteric veins as well as colonic wall thickening with calcifications. We report on a 71-year-old woman who presented with chronic diarrhea and intermittent hematochezia, who was first misdiagnosed as mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon, but finally diagnosed as a rare entity of chronic ischemic colitis, phlebosclerotic colitis. Differential points of phlebosclerotic colitis from other diseases, including leiomyosarcoma and schistosomiasis japonica, are also described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kang Nyeong
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hae Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Gyu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Oh Young
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000175:diagnosis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008642:Mesenteric Veins / Q000473:pathology; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012598:Sclerosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed