|Articles|February 12, 2014

Crampy Abdominal Pain: Your Impression?

See if the results of this 62-year-old woman's colonoscopy help you identify the source of her abdominal pain.

A 62 year-old woman presents to the hospital after the sudden onset of crampy abdominal pain followed by several bloody bowel movements. She had a screening colonoscopy 12 years ago which was unremarkable. A CT of the abdomen is performed in the emergency room and reveals circumferential bowel wall thickening around the region of the descending colon. A colonoscopy is performed and demonstrates the image seen in the Figure.

What is the diagnosis?

Pleaese leave your impressions below then click here for answer and discussion.

Enhance your clinical practice with the Patient Care newsletter, offering the latest evidence-based guidelines, diagnostic insights, and treatment strategies for primary care physicians.

Crampy Abdominal Pain: Your Impression?

Related Content

Noninvasive Testing and the Colorectal Cancer Screening Gap, With Mark Fendrick, MD

FDA Approves SimpleScreen CRC Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening

ASPIRE-CD Highlights Patient-Reported Symptom Gains With Risankizumab in Crohn Disease

Mental Health Screening May Improve Psychogastroenterology Follow-Up in IBD Care: A Q&A

Mirikizumab Maintains UC Disease Clearance Over 4 Years in LUCENT-3, With Jean-Frédéric Colombel, MD

Latest CME

25th Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer® East

10th Annual Live Medical Crossfire®: Hematologic Malignancies

Community Oncology Connections™: Monotherapies vs Combinations – Navigating Oral SERDs and Targeted Combination Strategies in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer | Arkansas Association of Cancer Professionals

(CME Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Kentucky

Community Oncology Connections™: Monotherapies vs Combinations – Navigating Oral SERDs and Targeted Combination Strategies in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer | Rhode Island Oncology Society

Arkansas Association of Cancer Professionals

Community Oncology Connections™: Monotherapies vs Combinations – Navigating Oral SERDs and Targeted Combination Strategies in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer | Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society

𝘔𝘌𝘛 Alterations in NSCLC: Applying Diagnostic Advances and Targeted Therapies in a New Era of Treatment

Community Oncology Connections™: Monotherapies vs Combinations – Navigating Oral SERDs and Targeted Combination Strategies in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer | South Carolina Oncology Society

Community Oncology Connections™: How Can We Optimize the Use of Oral SERDs in the Community Oncology Setting? Best Practices for HR+/HER2– Breast Cancer | Texas Society of Clinical Oncology

Community Oncology Connections™: Advancing Precision Testing and HER2-Targeted Care for Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma – Minnesota

Community Oncology Connections™: Advancing Precision Testing and HER2-Targeted Care for Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma – North Carolina

Community Oncology Connections™: Advancing Precision Testing and HER2-Targeted Care for Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma – West Virginia

EyeCon 2026

27th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress®

IgAN Case Files: Real Conversations, Evolving Evidence

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – New York

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – North Carolina

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Montana/Wyoming

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Washington

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Tennessee

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Nevada

(CPE Track) Community Oncology Connections™: Leveraging Recent Advances in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma – Kentucky

Hot Seat: Converging Lines in the Management of RAS-Altered Cancers

Unlocking the Future of Glioma Care: Integrating Recent Advances to Personalize Treatment

4th Annual International Congress on Pediatric Oncology

ISGIO 2025: Hepatobiliary Cancers

Burst CME™ in Gaucher Disease: Patient Evaluation and Management

Burst CME™: Disease-Modifying vs. Curative Therapy – Which Way to Go in Sickle Cell Disease?

The Presbyopia-Correcting and Toric IOL Playbook: Game-Changing Surgical Strategies to Enhance Patient Outcomes

Module 4: Breast Surgery (2025)

Module 5: Breast Radiation Therapy (2025)

Module 3: Pathology And Biomarkers (2025)

Module 6: Adjuvant/Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Endocrine Therapy (2025)

Module 1: Breast Carcinogenesis & Management of High-Risk Disease (2025)

Module 7: Systemic Treatment Of Advanced/Metastatic Disease (2025)

Module 2: Breast Imaging (2025)

Module 8: Organ-Targeted Treatment of Metastatic Disease (2025)

Module 9: Toxicity Management And Survivorship Considerations (2025)

Show Me Your Care Plan!™ Navigating ADC Therapies: Oncology Nursing Strategies for Optimal Patient Management

Cross-Disease Integration of Immunotherapy Innovations

Broadening the Frontline—Studies Informing the Use of Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Optimizing Treatment for Biliary Tract Cancers

24th Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer® East

Patient, Provider, and Caregiver Connection: Turning a New Leaf in Acute Pain Management – How Recent Advancements Impact the Treatment Paradigm

(CME Track) Rapid Reviews in Retina™: Emerging Updates from Summer 2025—Addressing the Wealth of New Data in Treatments for Neovascular Retinal Disease

PER Resource Center: Integrating Novel Approaches in TNBC – New Avenues for TROP2-Targeting ADCs and Beyond – Nursing

Cases and Conversations™: Biologic Matchmaking in Psoriasis – Finding the Right Therapy for the Right Patient

Collaborating Across the Continuum™: The Pediatrician’s Vital Role in Multidisciplinary Management of Pediatric PAH

Patient, Provider, and Caregiver Connection™: Addressing Patient Challenges With Holistic Approaches to Vitiligo Management

(CME Track) Community Collaborative Connections™: Optimizing the Collaborative Care of Neovascular Retinal Disease in a New Age of Treatment

Practical Considerations and Future Directions for New Treatment Strategies in SCLC

(CME Track) The Evolution of MacTel Management: Integrating Neuroprotective Therapies Into Clinical Practice

(CME Track) A Forward Look at Anti-VEGF Therapies: A Paradigm Shift in Neovascular Retinal Disease Management

Burst CME™: Optimizing Care for Patients with Psoriasis – Incorporating a Buy-and-Bill Model for Biologic Agents into Dermatological Practice

Expert Roundtable and Panel Discussions: Current and Future Landscape of TNBC

(CME Track) SoCal Psych 2025: Overcoming Barriers to Long-Acting Injectable Agents in Schizophrenia

Live Expert Illustrations & Commentary™: Visualizing Novel Therapeutic Targets for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Project ECHO®: Advancing Care in Metastatic TNBC Through PD-L1–Informed Novel Frontline ADC Strategies

25th Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer® West

Community Oncology Connections™: Monotherapies vs Combinations – Navigating Oral SERDs and Targeted Combination Strategies in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer | Wisconsin Association of Hematology and Oncology

Medical Crossfire®: BPDCN in 2026—Expert Perspectives on Diagnosis, Frontline Therapy, and the Evolving CD123-Directed Pipeline

Cases & Conversations: Real-World Insights on the Diagnosis and Management of Cold Agglutinin Disease

Medical Crossfire®: Maximizing Durability Across Retinal Disease — What 3 Years of Evidence Means for Your Practice

Navigating Treatment Gaps in SCLC: Relapse, Resistance, and Need for New Options

Houston Hematology Satellite Symposia

Working Together: Overcoming Barriers to Optimize Outcomes in Patients Treated With Radioligand Therapy Through Multidisciplinary Care

Ready for Radioligand Therapy? Patient Selection and Sequencing Simplified

Radioligand Therapy 101: The Science Behind the Strategy

Imaging Matters: Decoding PSMA PET for Better Decision-Making

Medical Crossfire®: ADCs and Bispecifics in Lung Cancer – Hype, Hope, or a New Standard of Care?

AREDS3 and Beyond: The Scientific Basis for B Vitamin Nutritional Supplementation in AMD