A rare cause of ischemic colitis: polyarteritis nodosa

Ischemic colitis revealing polyarteritis nodosa

Ischemic colitis is one of the most common intestinal ischemic injuries. It results from impaired perfusion of blood to the bowel and is rarely caused by vasculitis. We report a case of ischemic colitis revealing polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) in a 55-year-old man. Histological examination of the resected colon led to the diagnosis of PAN.

Nonarteriosclerotic vascular disease

Thromboangiitis obliterans, or Buerger disease, is a chronic nonatherosclerotic endarteritis manifesting as inflammation and thrombosis of distal extremity small and medium-sized arteries resulting in relapsing episodes of distal extremity ischemia. Takayasu arteritis is a rare syndrome characterized by inflammation of the aortic arch, pulmonary, coronary, and cerebral vessels, presenting with cerebrovascular symptoms, myocardial ischemia, or upper extremity claudication in young, often female, patients. Kawasaki disease is a small- and medium-vessel acute systemic vasculitis of young children, with morbidity and mortality stemming from coronary artery aneurysms. Microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and Wegener granulomatosis are systemic small-vessel vasculitides, affecting arterioles, capillary beds and venules, and each presenting with variable effects on the pulmonary, renal and gastrointestinal systems.

Pneumatosis intestinalis in a patient with polyarteritis nodosa

Necrotizing enterocolitis of the small bowel in polyarteritis nodosa is rare. In the proper clinical setting, pneumatosis intestinalis and mesenteric air are characteristic of this entity.