After coronary artery bypass surgery, the 64-year-old man experiences abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Which area will most likely show abnormal findings on the CT scan?

In the context of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea occurring after coronary artery bypass surgery, the most likely area to show abnormal findings on a CT scan is the splenic flexure. This is particularly significant due to its anatomical relationship to the colon and the potential for ischemic colitis.

During coronary artery bypass surgery, there is an increased risk of mesenteric ischemia, especially considering the factors such as hypotension or embolic events that can affect blood flow to the intestines. The splenic flexure is known as a watershed area, where the blood supply is more tenuous because it is at the junction of the territories supplied by the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). As a result, this region is more susceptible to ischemia when there is a reduction in blood flow, which can manifest as abdominal pain and diarrhea that contains blood due to mucosal injury.

In the case of other options such as the transverse colon, sigmoid colon, and cecum, while they could also potentially show findings related to ischemia or other pathologies, the splenic flexure is a classical site associated with ischemic conditions following surgeries such as bypass due to its blood supply vulnerability. Thus, abnormal