Goumas K, Poulou A, Tyrmpas I, Dandakis D, Bartzokis S, Tsamouri M, Barbati K, Soutos D. Acute ischemic colitis during scuba diving: Report of a unique case. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(20): 3262-3265 [PMID: 18506937 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.14.3262]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Dimitrios Dandakis, Department of Gastroenterology, Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Ochis 12, 11522 Athens, Greece. ddandakis@yahoo.com
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
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Konstantinos Goumas, Androniki Poulou, Ioannis Tyrmpas, Dimitrios Dandakis, Stavros Bartzokis, Dimitrios Soutos, Department of Gastroenterology, Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
Magdalini Tsamouri, Kalipso Barbati, Department of Pathology, Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
Author contributions: Goumas K organised the whole manuscript and supervised the process, Poulou A performed the colonoscopy, Tyrmpas I and Dandakis D organised the patient data and figures, Bartzokis S helped write and correct the manuscript, Barbati K and Tsamouri M were the pathologists that examined patient biopsies and Soutos D is the director of the Gastroenterology department.
Correspondence to: Dimitrios Dandakis, Department of Gastroenterology, Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Ochis 12, 11522 Athens, Greece. ddandakis@yahoo.com
Telephone: +30-6944798901
Fax: +30-210-8215277
Received: November 7, 2007 Revised: March 19, 2008 Accepted: March 26, 2008 Published online: May 28, 2008
Abstract
The presentation of clinical symptoms due to decompression during diving, varies significantly, as mainly minor disturbances for the gastrointestinal tract in particular have been reported. The following case debates whether diving can cause severe symptoms from the gastrointestinal system. We describe a clinical case of ischemic colitis presented in a 27-year-old male, who manifested abdominal pain while in the process of scuba diving 20 meters undersea, followed by bloody diarrhoea as soon as he ascended to sea level. Taking into account his past medical history, the thorough, impeccable clinical and laboratory examinations and presence of no other factors predisposing to ischemia of the colon, we assume that a possible relationship between diving conditions and the pathogenesis of ischemic colitis may exist. This unusual case might represent a hematologic manifestation of decompression sickness, due to increased coagulability and/or transient air emboli, occurring during a routine scuba diving ascent to sea level.
