Ischaemic enterocolitis Infarction of the intestinal tract Intestinal gangrene Haemorrhagic enterocolitis Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis Uraemic enterocolitis

A supply of oxygenated blood appropriate to the tissue needs of the gut is essential to the maintenance of its vital functions. The splanchnic vascular system serves this purpose and much of our knowledge of ischaemic bowel disease has developed from studies of radiological and pathological abnormalities of this system. The purpose of this paper is to summarize current information concerning the histopathology of intestinal ischaemia in the light of our better understanding of the micro-circulation of the gut in health and disease; also to describe the difficulties we have in understanding the pathogenesis of ischaemic bowel disease because of the growing spectrum of systemic disorders with which it is associated.