Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia: A Case Series

Abstract

Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia (AMI) is a group of disorders characterised by a sudden occlusion of blood supply to varing portions of the small intestine, eventually progressing to ischaemia and peritonitis. The present case series highlights a total of seven cases, three of which are classified as acute superior mesenteric artery thrombosis and four as acute superiormesenteric vein thrombosis. The typically symptoms reported were sudden onset of abdominal pain, distension, and melena (a late finding). Among the seven cases, four patients who received early intervention had favourable outcomes. All patients presented late with peritonitis symptoms, except for one patient. Emergency laparotomy was performed on all patients, except for one who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy. Therefore, although abdominal pain is an uncommon symptom, physicians need to exercise a high level of diligence. If left untreated, the overall mortality rate consistently exceeds 70-90%. This case series emphasises the importance of timely diagnosis, early intervention, and immediate postoperative heparinisation, which significantly decrease morbidity and mortality.

Keywords

• abdominal pain
• melena
• superior mesenteric artery thrombosis