Phlebosclerotic colitis in a non-Asian patient: a case report

BACKGROUND: Phlebosclerotic colitis is a rare condition with a high mortality. It has been seen almost exclusively in Asian patients who are ≥ 60 years old, with a slight male predominance. Although it predominantly affects the right colon and seems to be related in some cases to using natural herbal medicines, neither its etiology nor its pathogenesis are known. CASE PRESENTATION: We present an extremely rare case of a 62-year-old Spanish white man patient of non-Asian ethnicity with no history of using natural medications, who was diagnosed with phlebosclerotic colitis of submucosal veins. CONCLUSION: To date, this is the only case reported in Spain, and only the second reported for Europe, in the literature. Due to the nonspecific symptoms and insidious radiological findings of this disease (both in early and mild stages) as well as exclusive submucosal involvement presented here, it is necessary that the treating physician has a high level of suspicion for its diagnosis.