Ischemic bowel disease in the elderly.

The ischemic bowel diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders usually seen in elderly individuals. They represent ischemic damage to different portions [figure: see text] of the bowel and produce a variety of clinical syndromes and outcomes. Colonic ischemia is the commonest of these disorders and has a favorable prognosis in most cases. In contrast, acute mesenteric ischemia, most commonly caused by a superior mesenteric artery embolus, is a disease with a poor prognosis. Acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia usually is a [figure: see text] catastrophic complication of other severe medical illnesses, most notably atherosclerosis. Proper diagnosis and management of patients with ischemic bowel disease requires vigilance on the part of the physician and a willingness to embark on an aggressive plan of diagnosis and management in the appropriate setting.