- Type of intestinal ischemia
- Damage to vascular endothelial cells
- Results in endarteritis obliterans
- Distal ileum and pelvic loops commonly involved
- Time interval between radiation and symptoms variable
- Colicky abdominal pain, diarrhea, malabsorption, intermittent small intestinal obstruction
Imaging
- Thickening of valvulae conniventes, mural thickening, effacement of mucosal pattern, ulceration, fixation and angulation of small intestinal loops
- Distortion of mucosal folds along anti mesenteric border of intestine due to inflamed and thickened mesentery – ‘mucosal tacking’
- Luminal narrowing and stenosis (single or multiple)
- Sinus and fistulae rare
- CT: target appearance due to submucosal edema and mucosal hyperenhancement
- Homogeneous mural thickening suggests chronic healing fibrotic phase
Read more
Theis, V. Sripadam, et al. “Chronic radiation enteritis.” Clinical Oncology 22.1 (2010): 70-83.