Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis: A rare cause of chronic diarrhea

We report a 45-year-old healthy Chinese woman who presented with chronic diarrhea and iron deficiency anemia, with colonoscopy showing multiple ulcers from cecum to sigmoid on a background of dark-purple mucosa. She was initially suspected to be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, but the peculiar colonic biopsy findings and computed tomography (CT) imaging features, together with her habit of using Chinese herbal supplements, supported the rare diagnosis of idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis.

Keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; chronic diarrhea; idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis.