J Korean Soc Coloproctol.  2012 Feb;28(1):61-65. 10.3393/jksc.2012.28.1.61.

Extensive Bowel Ischemia with Heavy Alcohol Consumption: Report of a Case

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, Gyeonggi-do Medical Center Pocheon Hospital, Pocheon, Korea.
  • 2Department of Surgery, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ralee@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract

Alcohol is well-recognized systemic toxin that causes numerous adverse effects, including psychosocial problems, fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and atherosclerosis. The intra-abdominal complications caused by acute alcohol consumption have not been defined. We report an 80-year-old man with sub-acute small bowel and colonic ischemia after heavy alcohol intake in one sitting. We performed a resection of gangrenous bowel segments. Microscopically, there were diffuse infarction, with vasoconstriction of the mesenteric vessels in the ileum and colon without any thrombotic occlusion of the intestinal vessels. The clinicians should always be assured by confirmation of a history of recent substance abuse in patients with unexplained abdominal pain, and mesenteric ischemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute or chronic abdominal pain in consumers of alcohol.

Keyword

Alcohols; Intestinal ischemia; Vasoconstriction

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Aged, 80 and over
Alcohol Drinking
Alcohols
Atherosclerosis
Colon
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Ileum
Infarction
Ischemia
Myocardial Infarction
Stroke
Substance-Related Disorders
Vasoconstriction
Alcohols
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