Analysis of clinical characteristics of 117 cases of ischemic colitis

Abstract

Objective: Ischemic colitis (IC) represents a significant gastrointestinal condition requiring precise clinical characterization. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features and risk factors associated with IC through a comprehensive retrospective analysis of 117 cases.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with IC at the Department of Gastroenterology, Second People's Hospital of Anhui Province, from December 2019 to December 2024. Clinical data were systematically collected and analyzed for patient characteristics and associated risk factors.

Results: From 136 initially identified cases, 117 met the inclusion criteria (91 females, 26 males; female-to-male ratio 3.5:1). The mean age was 65.2 ± 13.6 years, with 65.8% of patients aged ≥ 60 years. Underlying disease were present in 86 patients, predominantly hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. Medication history was significant in 69 patients, with antihypertensive, antiplatelet, statin, and hypoglycemic agents being most common. The primary presenting symptom in 81 patients (69.2%) was abdominal pain accompanied by hematochezia. Clinical staging analysis revealed significant associations with elevated neutrophil counts, increased C-reactive protein(CRP) levels, positive computed tomography findings, and CAR (C-reactive protein to albumin ratio) values. Age-stratified analysis demonstrated significant correlations with underlying disease.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that IC predominantly affects elderly females and preferentially involves the left hemicolon. The condition shows strong associations with cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities and their corresponding medications. The CAR ratio (≥ 0.335) may serve as a potential marker for mild to moderate IC, warranting further investigation as a prognostic indicator.

Keywords: CAR; Clinical characteristics; Ischemic colitis; Risk factors.

Fig. 1

Flowchart for study population selection

Fig. 2

CT imaging of IC patients

Fig. 3

The results of Power Analysis (Application of Gpower software)

Fig. 4

The results of post hoc power calculations (Application of Gpower software)

Fig. 5

Results of the power analysis sensitivity assessment (Application of Gpower software)

Fig. 6

IC Treatment Protocol Flowchart. IC clinical staging types 1-3 refer to: one-pass, circumferential and transmural, respectively; IC clinical staging type 4 refers to: gangrenous

Fig. 7

The ROC curve of the Shin et al.'s model score under different grouping models

Fig. 8

The ROC curve of the Shin et al.'s model score under different grouping models

Fig. 9

The ROC curve of the CAR score under different grouping models

Fig. 10

The ROC curve of the CAR score under different grouping models