Cat scratch colon.

BACKGROUND

Bright red linear marks in the right colon are occasionally seen but have never been described in the medical literature. We have termed this finding "cat scratch" colon.

METHODS

This was a prospective examination of 8277 colonoscopies at a single endoscopy center in a private practice setting. All cases of cat scratch colon were biopsied, and the results read by two pathologists.

RESULTS

A total of 21 cases of cat scratch colon were identified, all in the ascending colon and cecum, with a prevalence of 0.25%. The majority of cases were in women. Although the colon was histologically normal in most cases, there was a significantly higher proportion of collagenous colitis in patients with cat scratch colon compared with the total cohort (14% vs. 0.15%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of bright red linear markings (cat scratch colon) in the cecum and ascending colon is 0.25%. These markings appear to be superficial breaks in the mucosa possibly secondary to barotrauma. Patients tend to be older women with higher proportion of collagenous colitis.