Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ischemic colitis includes a wide clinical spectrum ranging from mild to severe forms. This study aimed to determine the factors that are related to the occurrence of severe ischemic colitis. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted retrospectively in Korea. The patients were divided into mild and severe groups. This study surveyed clinical characteristics, blood tests, endoscopic findings, and imaging studies. RESULTS: In the comparison of comorbidities, the severe group had a higher ratio of chronic kidney disease than the mild group (p=0.001). In the blood test, the severe group had a reduced number of platelets (p=0.018) and a higher C-reactive protein value (p=0.001). The severe group had a higher ratio of involvement of the right colon (p=0.026). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of the patients showed that the severe group had higher scores than the mild group (p=0.003). A multivariate analysis showed that chronic kidney disease and high ECOG performance status scores were significant risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: If patients diagnosed with ischemic colitis are also treated for chronic kidney disease or have poor performance status, more attention and early intervention are necessary.