A Case of Phlebosclerotic Colitis

Takuya Watanabe, Kiyoshi Ishigure, Akira Fujioka, Takao Horiba, Atsushi Hirai and Yoichi Ito

Depatment of Surgery, Showa General Hospital

A 68-year-old woman with diarrhea and melena was found in irrigoscopy to have haustra disappearing along the cecum through the descending colon in the narrowed lumen with partial thumb-printing. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy indicated mucosal edema and erosion at the same site, suggesting ischemic enteritis. She was followed up in conservative treatment with a drug for controlling intestinal function. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy conducted about 5 months later due to sustained diarrhea showed no change in observations. Abdominal plain radiography and abdominal computed tomography indicated linear emergence of reticulate calcification along the cecum through the mesentery of the descending colon occurring since the first visit. Because these findings suggested phlebosclerotic colitis, we biopsied the lesion. The deposition of amorphous substances (HE staining) and collagen fibers (Azan staining) in the mucosa found in biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of phlebosclerotic colitis. We conducted laparoscope-assisted subtotal colectomy to relieve symptoms. The woman's postoperative course was favorable, with symptoms relieved. She is now being followed up in an ambulatory setting.

Key words
phlebosclerotic colitis, calcification, phlebosclerosis

Reprint requests
Takuya Watanabe Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550 JAPAN

Accepted
March 26, 2008

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