Mesenteric vein thrombosis: Early CT and US diagnosis and conservative management (original) (raw)

Management Of Bowel Ischemia Secondary To Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis: A Tight Rope Walk

The Internet Journal of Gastroenterology, 2010

Acute superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and portal vein (PV) thrombosis can be a complication of hypercoagulable, inflammatory, or infectious states. It can also occur as a complication of medical or surgical intervention. Management of mesenteric and portal vein thrombosis includes both operative and non-operative approaches. Operative interventions include thrombectomy with thrombolysis; this is often employed for patients who present with signs of peritoneal irritation. Nonoperative approaches can be either noninvasive or invasive. Treatment with anticoagulation has been shown to be efficacious, though its rate of recanalization is not as high as with intravascular infusion of thrombolytics. We here describe an interesting case report of a patient who developed ischemic bowel secondary to mesenteric vein thrombosis, who did not qualify for a surgical emergency and provided an interesting challenge in medical management until surgery finally took over the specific management.

Small Intestinal Stricture Complicating an Asymptomatic Superior Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis

American Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2014

Ischemic stricture of the small intestine is a rare complication of mesenteric vein thrombosis. We report a case of small intestine stricture that complicated an asymptomatic superior mesenteric vein thrombosis. This diagnosis was challenging owing to the silent course of the primary cause; the superior mesenteric vein thrombosis and the rarity of the ischemic stricture of the small intestine as a complication. The patient underwent resectionanastomosis and passed an uneventful postoperative course. We concluded that a high suspicion level should be maintained during dealing with the cases of intestinal obstruction due to small intestine stricture as mesenteric ischemia could be the underlying cause.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis in inflammatory bowel disease

American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2003

Mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is a rare but potentially catastrophic clinical complication, which may lead to ischemia or infarction of the intestine and/or the emergence of portal hypertension. An association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and MVT has previously been described, but clinical factors that may contribute to this complication in the setting of IBD are not well characterized. Diagnosis of MVT in IBD is difficult, as patients frequently present with nonspecific abdominal discomfort, which may delay diagnosis and initiation of treatment. We report 6 of 545 IBD patients at our center (1.1%) that developed MVT, and describe presentation, diagnostic approaches, treatment options, underlying contributing factors, and outcome. The diagnosis was determined with abdominal computed tomography (CT) in 5 of 6 cases. Clinical factors, which were thought to contribute to MVT, included underlying hypercoagulability, low-flow state, uncontrolled inflammation, perioperative time period, and prior surgical manipulation of the portal vein following orthotopic liver transplantation. There were no deaths as a result of MVT, although 1 patient developed severe portal hypertension and another experienced intestinal infarction requiring extensive resection. We conclude that MVT is an important clinical consideration in IBD patients, specifically during the perioperative setting, and diagnosis is facilitated with the use of CT scan.

Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis: Three Consecutive Cases

Kafkas Journal of Medical Sciences, 2020

Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) has better prognosis than arterial thrombosis when the diagnosis is early. Newly developed radiological imaging are highly sensitive for of MVT; at the same time when early diagnosis is made, interventional radiology can apply aspiration thrombectomy or thrombolitics. We had presented three consecutive cases of MVT diagnosed in different clinical phases of thrombosis: first and third cases were diagnosed with intestinal necrosis, directly by laparotomy or laparoscopy and resection of the implicated segment was inevitable. Second patient was diagnosed at the phase of ischemia without necrosis, SMV was partially recanalised by the interventional radiologist with no reccurence of thrombosis for a period of 9 months.

Clinical and radiographic presentation of superior mesenteric vein thrombosis in Crohn's disease: A single center experience

Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, 2012

Background: Mesenteric vein thrombosis (MVT) is a rare and frequently underdiagnosed complicationof Crohn's disease (CD). This study describes the clinical and radiological characteristics of CD /patients with superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (MVT) diagnosed by CT/MRI. Patients and methods: The database of Crohn's disease patients treated in Sheba Medical Center between 2005-2010 was searched for MVT diagnosis. Imaging studies of identified patients were retrieved and reviewed by an experienced abdominal radiologist. MVT was defined by superior mesenteric vein obliteration and/or thrombus in the vessel lumen on abdominal imaging. The clinical and radiologic data of these patients were collected from the medical records. Results: MVT was demonstrated in 6/460 CD patients. Five patients had stricturing disease, and one patient had a combined fistulizing and stricturing disease phenotype. All patients had small bowel disease, but 3/6 also had colonic involvement. No patient had a prior thromboembolic history or demonstrable hypercoagulability. One patient had an acute SMV thrombus demonstrable on CT scanning, the remaining patients showed an obliteration of superior mesenteric vein. Two patients received anticoagulation upon diagnosis of thrombosis. No subsequent thromboembolic events were recorded.

Multidetector row computed tomography findings from ischemia to infarction of the large bowel

European Journal of Radiology, 2007

Objective: MDCT is performed as first imaging examination for patients with acute abdomen in most Emergency Departments. Clinical suspicion of ischemic colitis and infarction is related to specific findings, however, differential diagnosis as well as the staging for a confirmed ischemic affection may be critical. The individual signs from ischemia to infarction of large bowel is a captivating topic. In this study, we report our experience of the MDCT assessment of acute colonic disease from vascular mesenteric disorders. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the MDCT findings of 71 patients admitted to our attention for acute abdomen, with final proven diagnosis of colonic ischemia and/or infarction made by surgery and/or endoscopy. CT-scanning of the abdomen and pelvis was performed after i.v. contrast medium administration, using a multidetector row CT equipment. We correlated the presence of parietal disease, the evidence of mesenteric arterial or venous vessels occlusion, the parietal features as well as others findings, such as free fluid and/or air in peritoneal recess or in retroperitoneum, with the surgical and/or endoscopic findings. Results: Analysis of our data showed a segmental (84%) or complete (16%) involvement of the colon; 57 cases were related to ischemia, 14 to infarction. Inferior mesenteric vessels defect of opacification was noted in 10 cases. Various degree of wall thickening and parietal enhancement, peritoneal fluid, mural or portal-mesenteric pneumatosis were compared to evidence of mesenteric arterial or vein occlusion and to final proven diagnosis. A classification in a multi-stage grading for both decreased of arterial supply or impaired venous drainage disorders was done. Conclusions: A grading scale from ischemia to infarction affecting the large bowel from arterial or venous mesenteric vessels origin has been not previously reported in a series at our knowledge. MDCT findings may support the clinical evaluation of patients affected by acute colon from vascular disorders. In particular, it seems to provide effective and valuable information's in differentiating etiology and stage of disease.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis with transmural intestinal infarction: A population-based study

Journal of Vascular Surgery, 2005

To determine the cause-specific mortality from and incidence of transmural intestinal infarction caused by mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) in a population-based study and to evaluate the findings at autopsy by evaluating autopsies and surgical procedures. Methods: All clinical (n ‫؍‬ 23,446) and forensic (n ‫؍‬ 7569) autopsies performed in the city of Malmö between 1970 and 1982 (population 264,000 to 230,000) were evaluated. The autopsy rate was 87%. The surgical procedures were performed in 1970, 1976, and 1982. Autopsy protocols coded for intestinal ischemia or mesenteric vessel occlusion, or both, were identified in a database. In all, 997 of 23,446 clinical and 9 of 7,569 forensic autopsy protocols were analyzed. A 3-year sample of the surgical procedures, comprising 21.3% (11,985 of 56,251) of all operations performed during the entire study period, was chosen to capture trends of diagnostic and surgical activity. In a nested case-control study within the clinical autopsy cohort, four MVT-free controls, matched for gender, age at death, and year of death were identified for each fatal MVT case to evaluate the clinical autopsy findings. Results: Four forensic and 23 clinical autopsies demonstrated MVT with intestinal infarction. Seven patients were operated on, of whom six survived. The cause-specific mortality ratio was 0.9:1000 autopsies. The incidence was 1.8/100,000 person years. At autopsy, portal vein thrombosis and systemic venous thromboembolism occurred in 2 of 3 and 1 of 2 of the cases, respectively. Obesity was an independent risk factor for fatal MVT (P ‫.)120.؍‬ Conclusions: The estimated incidence of MVT with transmural intestinal infarction was 1.8/100,000 person years. Portal vein thrombosis, systemic venous thromboembolism and obesity were associated with fatal MVT. ( J Vasc Surg 2005;41: 59-63.)

Acute bowel ischemia: analysis of diagnostic error by overlooked findings at MDCT angiography

Emergency Radiology, 2012

To retrospectively evaluate the frequency and type of findings that were missed in the original reports of multi-detector CT angiography (MDCTA) in patients with suspected acute bowel ischemia. From January 2007 to March 2011, a series of 35 patients who underwent MDCTA of the abdomen and pelvis and had surgery were included. The reports of the initial CT were retrospectively compared with the discharge diagnosis and surgical reports. Discrepant or missing findings were re-evaluated and divided into relevant or not relevant regarding the diagnosis. In 23 of the 35 patients (66 %), all findings were correctly diagnosed in the initial MDCTA report. In the remaining 12 of the 35 patients (34 %), lesions that were not reported were present at surgery. In 10 of the 12 (83 %) patients, the overlooked findings were relevant and subtle: gas in the portal vein (n03), gas in the bowel wall (n03), gas in the portal vein and bowel wall (n02), thrombotic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (n01), and thrombotic occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery (n01). In 2 of the 12 (17 %) patients in whom the MDCTA-overlooked findings were classified as non-relevant, bowel ischemia was found at surgery. With retrospective image interpretation, 83 % of the patients with occlusive mesenteric ischemia at surgery were correctly identified, whereas the remaining 17 % with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia at surgery showed nonrelevant findings at MDCTA. About 33 % of relevant findings of bowel ischemia were overlooked by the initial MDCTA interpretation, most were subtle findings. However, secondary reading revealed most of these findings and can serve to improve diagnostic performance.