Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2026; 32(47): 122949
Published online Dec 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.122949
Published online Dec 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.122949
Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins mimicking steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis: A case report
Ju Seok Lee, Eun Young Kim, Joong Goo Kwon, June Hwa Bae, Mina Kim, Hyeong Ho Jo, Department of Internal Medicine, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu 42472, South Korea
Chun-Seok Yang, Seong Ho Yu, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu 42472, South Korea
Chang-Ho Cho, Department of Pathology, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu 42472, South Korea
Author contributions: Lee JS and Jo HH conceived the study; Lee JS collected the clinical data and drafted the manuscript; Kim EY, Kwon JG, Bae JH, Kim M, Yang CS, Yu SH, Cho CH, and Jo HH contributed to data interpretation and critically revised the manuscript; Yang CS and Yu SH performed the surgery; Cho CH interpreted the pathological findings. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: Portions of this manuscript were edited with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI) solely for language refinement and improvement of grammar and clarity. The authors carefully reviewed, verified, and approved all AI-assisted outputs. AI tools were not used to generate original scientific data, perform independent scientific analyses, or draw scientific conclusions. The authors take full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and scientific content of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Hyeong Ho Jo, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu 42472, South Korea. johh0205@naver.com
Received: May 8, 2026
Revised: July 21, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: December 21, 2026
Processing time: 177 Days and 19.4 Hours
Revised: July 21, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: December 21, 2026
Processing time: 177 Days and 19.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins is a rare venous occlusive disease that can closely mimic ulcerative colitis and lead to misdiagnosis. This case demonstrates progressive steroid-refractory colitis unresponsive to medical therapy, ultimately requiring surgery for definitive diagnosis. Postoperative rectal inflammation created a diagnostic dilemma between diversion colitis and possible underlying inflammatory bowel disease. This report highlights the importance of considering vascular etiologies in refractory colitis and cautiously interpreting postoperative endoscopic findings.