Ischaemic gastropathy: an under-recognised cause of abdominal pain

Abstract

Ischaemic gastropathy is an under-recognised phenomenon with a particularly poor prognosis, where early diagnosis is crucial for successful medical intervention and the prevention of life-threatening complications. We present a case involving a 42-year-old female with no history of vascular insufficiency who developed ischaemic gastropathy following a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit, from septic shock secondary to Escherichia coli bacteraemia due to complicated acute appendicitis. This case underscores the importance of the physician’s awareness regarding this rare entity and the necessity to consider it in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain and haematemesis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may significantly improve survival outcomes in this less-documented pathology, especially in the younger adult population.

Keywords

• ischaemic gastropathy
• gastric hypoperfusion
• gastric ischaemia
• appendectomy