Acute colorectal ischaemia after anaphylactoid shock.

A 29 year old woman is reported with bloody diarrhoea three hours after developing anaphylactoid shock. Sigmoidoscopy, barium enema, and histology showed rectal and colonic ischaemia to the splenic flexure. Recovery was complete. There was no history of vascular disease but the patient was taking an oral contraceptive. Thirty one other cases of spontaneous ischaemic proctitis are reviewed.