Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Opinion statement Clinical manifestations of chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) can range from vague abdominal pain to debilitating states of intestinal angina resulting in significant weight loss and morbidity. Once the condition has been diagnosed, treatment usually is elective, except in rare cases of rapid progression to acute mesenteric ischemia. Medical management of CMI is mostly supportive. However, in disorders of coagulation, antiplatelet agents and warfarin may be helpful to prevent further thrombosis, and these disorders may require lifelong therapy. For decades, the mainstay of therapy for CMI has been surgery. Extensive disease often requires complete revascularization, although bypass of the superior mesenteric artery alone also has been shown to be effective. Multiple variations of surgical bypass have been advocated but require further evaluation to determine efficacy. Transaortic endarterectomy is a viable option for limited disease. Minimally invasive vascular procedures such as percutaneous endovascular angioplasty and stenting are proving to be effective for short-segment atherosclerotic stenosis, particularly near the origin of the vessels. Although endovascular therapy has less long-term durability compared with open surgical procedures, these treatments prove simpler, with shortened hospital stays and reduced morbidity. Furthermore, angiographic therapy is a feasible alternative for patients in whom surgery is deemed precarious.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Chronic mesenteric ischemia often called intestinal angina too, is the clinical syndrome that originates as a result of chronic obstruction of the splanchnic arteries. Intestinal angina is defined by the clinical triad of postprandial abdominal pain, sitophobia (fear of eating) and chronic weight loss. Postprandial abdominal pain is analogous to angina pectoris and calf claudication, two more common manifestations of episodic tissue hypoxia. The authors present the case-history of a 50-year-old woman with intestinal angina due to obliteration of the all three main splanchnic arteries. The authors describe the course of the disease and point out new diagnostic approaches in the diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia (Doppler ultrasound of the splanchnic arteries, helical CT angiography of the splanchnic vasculature). In the discussion they point out the possible atypical clinical manifestation of chronic mesenteric ischemia and existence of gastric ulceration and chronic ischemic gastritis caused by chronic mesenteric ischemia.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an unusual but important cause of abdominal pain. Although this condition accounts for only 5% of all intestinal ischemic events, it can have significant clinical consequences. Among its many causes, atherosclerotic occlusion or severe stenosis is the most common. This disorder has an indolent course that results in extensive collateral vascular formation. Thus, symptoms occur when at least two of the three main splanchnic vessels are affected. Intestinal angina, weight loss, and sitophobia are common clinical features. Diagnosis can often be made by noninvasive methods such as computerised axial tomographic angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and duplex ultrasonography as well as by invasive catheter angiography. Therapy of chronic mesenteric ischemia depends on the extent and location of vascular disease. Alternatives to traditional surgical bypass are becoming more common including embolectomy, thrombolysis, and percutaneous angioplasty with vascular stenting. Early intervention is vital as the natural course of this illness can be debilitating. Furthermore, this has potential to develop into life-threatening acute mesenteric ischemia with subsequent bowel infarction and death. Long-term studies have shown that the risk of developing symptoms from asymptomatic but significant mesenteric vascular disease is 86% with overall 40% mortality rate. The recognition and management of this unusual but important cause of abdominal pain is discussed in detail in this review.     

Takayasu arteritis presenting as chronic mesenteric ischemia.

We report a 40-year-old man with Takayasu arteritis involving the abdominal aorta, who presented with chronic mesenteric ischemia. The diagnosis was made by aortogram, which showed tight superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stenosis. The patient underwent successful balloon angioplasty of the SMA following corticosteroid treatment. He is asymptomatic 9 months later; repeat aortogram showed no stenosis.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia and therapeutic paradigm of mesenteric revascularization

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is a life-threatening clinical problem resulting in death from inanition and/or bowel infarction, if left untreated, albeit low disease prevalence. Typical presentation is postprandial abdominal pain, severe weight loss, and altered bowel habit. Surgical revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery provides effective long-term treatment for chronic intestinal ischemia. Eleven patients underwent superior mesenteric artery revascularization, nine of them with open retrograde superior mesenteric artery bypass and two with angioplasty and stenting. All patients except one made a satisfactory recovery in this cohort. Major complication included one graft thrombosis leading to bowel ischemia and death. The rest all recovered weight in 3–6 months with a follow up period of 6 to 28 months. Two patients had recurrence of symptoms due to failing bypass requiring stenting for assisted primary patency. Superior mesenteric artery revascularization can be performed with minimal morbidity and mortality, providing excellent symptom relief and quality of life.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia: diagnosis and management

Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is the most common vascular disorder involving the intestines, however it is unusual in clinical practice. The redundancy of the visceral circulation with multiple interconnections between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) is the most likely explanation for the infrequent occurrence of CMI in clinical practice. Atherosclerosis is by the far the most common etiology of CMI. The increased utilization of diagnostic abdominal cross-sectional imaging has increased the recognition of atherosclerotic mesenteric stenoses. CMI is a clinical diagnosis, based upon symptoms and consistent anatomic findings. The classic setting for CMI is a female patient presenting with post-prandial abdominal discomfort that results in significant weight loss. Endovascular therapy with stenting has become the most common method chosen for revascularization having replaced open surgery with its associated morbidity and mortality.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia: diagnosis and treatment

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an uncommon manifestation of atherosclerotic disease. The presentation of chronic mesenteric ischemia is often confusing and the diagnosis is usually not made until late in the course of the disease. Selective angiography is considered the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia. The treatment options for patients presenting with symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia include various surgical approaches to revascularization and catheter-based interventions.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia: Time to remember open revascularization

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is caused by stenosis or occlusion of one or more visceral arteries. It represents a therapeutic challenge and diagnosis and treatment require close interdisciplinary cooperation between gastroenterologist, vascular surgeon and radiologist. Although endovascular treatment modalities have been developed, the number of restenoses ultimately resulting in treatment failure is high. In patients fit for open surgery, the visceral arteries should be revascularized conventionally. These patients will then experience long term relief from the symptoms, a better quality of life and a better overall survival.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia resulting from isolated lesions of the superior mesenteric artery--a case report

Atherosclerosis is a common cause of chronic mesenteric ischemia, generally affecting 2 or more arterial branches supplying the gut. The authors present a case in which symptomatic mesenteric ischemia was the result of 2 tandem atherosclerotic lesions in the superior mesenteric artery. Both the celiac axis and inferior mesenteric arteries were fully patent. The patient experienced complete relief of symptoms after percutaneous deployment of an intravascular stent across the proximal arterial narrowing. The case also documents the existence of an atheroma in a distal mesenteric artery.     

Chronic mesenteric ischemia due to superior mesenteric artery stenosis. Percutaneous therapy as alternative treatment

Chronic mesenteric arterial ischemia is an uncommon condition associated with a high morbidity and mortality. It is most commonly caused by atherosclerotic occlusive disease. Patients may suffer epigastric or periumbilical post-prandial pain ten to thirty minutes after eating. A case of chronic mesenteric ischemia is presented due to superior mesenteric artery stenosis. The diagnosis was performed with doppler sonography and angiography and was treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The patient became completely asymptomatic. The purpose of this report is to present the case, clinic and radiological features and to describe the percutaneous procedure. We believe that percutaneous treatment offers an improvement in this pathology with a low complication rate, decreasing the admission days and increasing patient comfort degree.     

Acute mesenteric ischemia

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a serious disease in old age with low incidence but with a very high mortality rate (60-70%). The etiology is either primary (embolism or thrombosis of mesenteric arteries or veins, non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia) or secondary (mechanical obstruction such as intestinal volvulus, intussusception, tumor-caused compression). Independent of the origin of the illness, the clinical-pathological picture is the same: intestinal ischemia with subsequent necrosis. The aim of this study was to ascertain which underlying conditions lead to increased probability of development of acute mesenteric ischemia. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen patients with a primary form of AMI were treated in the years 1991-2007, in the 1st Clinic of Surgery in Brno, Czech Republic and in the Department of General Surgery, Derer's University Hospital in Bratislava, Slovak Republic; the results of the treatment have been statistically evaluated. CONCLUSION: The probability of arterial mesenteric ischemia development rises significantly (p < 0.05) in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation and/or myocardial infarction. This probability is also significantly higher in smokers with symptoms of hypertension and clinical signs of abdominal angina (p < 0.05).     

Acute mesenteric ischemia

Introduction : Management of acute mesenteric ischemia is still a matter of concern for physicians. This disorder has been associated to an increased mortality mainly because of a late diagnosis and controversial treatment options. Methods and Results : we describe the case of a multidisciplinary approach to a cardiogenic thrombotic occlusion of superior mesenteric artery resulting in acute mesenteric ischemia. After rapid diagnosis with Duplex scan, we brought the patient to our catheterization laboratory and managed it with the common tools used for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Among the specific issues of this case report, we observed some of the common complications of the acute myocardial infarction managed in the catheterization laboratory and treated them with the same tools used in the “myocardial area.” Conclusions : we showed how an “interventional cardiologist's” approach to acute mesenteric ischemia was effective in restoring superior mesenteric artery patency and in aborting a mesenteric infarction.© 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Acute mesenteric ischemia

Opinion statement Acute mesenteric ischemia is caused by a critical reduction in intestinal blood flow that frequently results in bowel necrosis and is associated with a high mortality. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion because a prompt diagnosis and early aggressive treatment before the onset of bowel infarction results in reduced mortality. Medical management includes aggressive rehydration and the use of antibiotics, anticoagulation, vasodilators, and inhibitors of reperfusion injury. If acute mesenteric ischemia is suspected, early angiography is imperative, as it permits accurate diagnosis and possible therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic options during angiography depend on the cause of ischemia and include administering intra-arterial vasodilators and/or thrombolytic agents and angioplasty with or without stent placement. If interventional techniques are not possible or if the patient presents with suspicion of bowel infarction, surgery is warranted. Surgical techniques include superior mesenteric artery embolectomy or visceral artery bypass, which should be used before bowel resection to ensure only resection of nonviable bowel.