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Soccer Game Turned Bloody: A Case of Exercise-Induced Ischemic Colitis.

Duha ZaffarEliesther RiveraStephen SchwartzOsman AliBruce D Greenwald
Published in: ACG case reports journal (2024)
Ischemic colitis (IC) should be considered as a cause for gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with recent vigorous physical activity. Vasoconstriction driven by increased sympathetic tone during exercise is believed to mediate exercise-induced IC. In this report, a 21-year-old man with no medical history developed self-resolving, sudden-onset hematochezia and abdominal pain after playing in a collegiate soccer match for 90 minutes. Colonoscopy with biopsy showed changes consistent with IC. He improved without further treatment. In most cases, exercise-induced IC resolves completely with supportive care and correction of hypovolemia. Careful monitoring is appropriate before pursuing further evaluation.
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