Ischaemic lesions of the alimentary tract.

The clinical and pathological findings in 23 patients with ischaemic lesions of the alimentary tract (ischaemic enterocolitis) are described. These are compared with findings in 13 patients with occlusive thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery. The pathological features distinguishing the two conditions are discussed. Ischaemic enterocolitis was found to be a relatively common condition (0.6% of necropsies). The occurrence of mucosal fibrosis (a hitherto undescribed feature) has been of help in the biopsy diagnosis of ischaemic lesions of the gut.