Endovascular Repair of Superior Mesenteric Arteriovenous Fistula Causing Early Mesenteric Steal Syndrome Following Abdominal Gunshot Injury

Abstract

Introduction: Superior mesenteric arteriovenous fistulae (SMAVF) are rare, usually secondary to trauma or iatrogenic injury and typically present sometime after the initial insult. Report: A 30 year old male underwent immediate laparotomy for abdominal gunshot injury. The small bowel mesentery contained a large haematoma and a palpable thrill. CT demonstrated a large SMAVF. At re-look laparotomy, small bowel ischaemia was noted and following this endovascular SMA stent graft insertion was performed, with excellent angiographic and clinical results. Conclusion: The first report of immediate traumatic SMAVF leading to acute mesenteric steal syndrome and successful management with endovascular stent insertion is presented. Keywords: Arteriovenous fistula, Mesenteric ischaemia, Stents, Laparotomy