What is the difference between ischemic colitis and mesenteric ischemia?

A common misnomer. Mesenteric ischemia and ischemic colitis, while completely different disorders, are often mixed together and usually have different illness scripts and initial treatment algorithms.

Mesenteric Ischemia:

 • Small bowel

 • Usually occlusive due to thromboemboli

 • Sudden onset

 • Abd pain “out of proportion”

 • Tx: urgent surgery

Ischemic colitis:

 • Large bowel

 • Usually due to nonocclusive low flow states

 • More gradual onset

 • Moderate abd pain & tenderness, bloody diarrhea

 • Tx: usually conservative, surgery occasionally considered



#ischemiccolitis #mesentericischemia #comparison #differences #diagnosis #table