[Angiodysplasia of the colon].

The authors present a case review of a congenital abnormality of the inferior mesenteric blood vessels which resulted in ischemia of the descending colon and rectosigmoid area. The resulting colitis is only very rarely secondary to a vascular congenital abnormality. In this case, rectosigmoidoscopy, barioum study of the large bowel and a biopsy of the rectal mucosa pointed towards the ischemic nature of the lesion. This led to the selective angiographic study of the inferior mesenteric vessels with findings of a dilated inferior mesenteric artery and angiodysplasia. Surgical treatment included tying off of the inferior mesenteric artery and resection of the descending and rectosigmoid colon followed by transverse colon-rectum anastomosis. The angiographic and histopathologic studies were of great importance in establishing the true nature of the patient's clinical syndrome. One must keep in mind that the rectosigmoidoscopic findings may be seen in other disease states which do not have a vascular origin. These include Crohn's disease, severe amoebiasis and penumatosis of the intestine.