RESUMO
PIP: This is the first published report in Israel of ischemic colitis in a woman using the contraceptive pill; 20 such cases have been reported in other parts of the world. The patient was a 46 year old married woman with 3 children; she had been in good health except for obesity and chronic hypertension. Her medications included an oral contraceptive for a period of 3 years, and methyldopa for treatment of her hypertension. She presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea of 5 weeks duration. She underwent surgical reanastamosis of the bowel and was doing well at follow-up 1 year after surgery. The presence of ischemic colitis was definitively diagnosed by histological examination; the differential diagnosis included cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and infectious disease. The authors note that although there is possible association between taking oral contraceptives and the appearance of ischemic colitis, there is not yet any statistical evidence for such a relationship. Similar cases have been reported among young women who were not using oral contraceptives.^ieng