Radiology Case Reports (Sep 2023)

Successful treatment of multiple microbleeds in a large area of the small bowel by transcatheter arterial embolization using imipenem/cilastatin as embolization material

  • Sakiko Hiraki, MD,
  • Fumie Sato, MD,
  • Ichiro Okada, MD,
  • Masaya Osugi, MD,
  • Yoshiya Watanabe, MD,
  • Yoshiaki Ichinose, MD

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 9
pp. 3026 – 3031

Abstract

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A 44-year-old man with chronic idiopathic pseudo-intestinal obstruction and lumbar disc herniation presented with orthostatic dizziness, black vomiting, and stools. He was suspected to have an ulcer caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and treated conservatively but continued to have transfusion-dependent anemia. Trans-arterial contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed multiple microbleeds in the small intestine. We diffusely embolized 7 small intestine branches of the superior mesenteric artery using imipenem/cilastatin on 2 separate occasions. This stopped the bleeding, and the patient progressed well without ischemic complications and was discharged on the 25th postoperative day.Transcatheter arterial embolization with imipenem/cilastatin may be a viable treatment option for patients with multiple small bowel bleeds in a large area of the small intestine that are unresponsive to conservative treatment or endoscopic methods.

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