Mesenteric Ischemia

Mesenteric ischemia, also known as mesenteric vascular disease, is a medical condition in which injury of the small intestineoccurs due to not enough blood supply. It can come on suddenly, known as acute mesenteric ischemia, or gradually, known as chronic mesenteric ischemia. Acute disease often presents with sudden severe pain.

Symptoms may come on more slowly in those with acute on chronic disease. Signs and symptoms of chronic disease include abdominal pain after eating, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, and being afraid of eating. There are four mechanisms by which poor blood flow occurs: a blood clot from elsewhere getting lodged in an artery, a new blood clot forming in an artery, a blood clot forming in the mesenteric vein, and insufficient blood flow due to low blood pressureor spasms of arteries.

NG tube decompression, angiogram for diagnosis and treatment, heparin anticoagulation. Papaverine to decrease arterial vasospasm. "Surgical revascularisation remains the treatment of choice for mesenteric ischaemia, but thrombolytic medical treatment and vascular interventional radiological techniques have a growing role".

Its incidence in the United States has been quoted as 2.6 patients per 1,000,000 people/year Johnston (2002). In Japan, its incidence is 3.6 patients per 1,000,000 patients/year and prevalence is 7.85 patients per 100,000 per year Morita et al. (1996). The presence of 2 major criteria, 1 major plus 2 or more minor criteria, or 4 or more minor criteria suggest a high probability of Takayasu disease (84% sensitivity) [1]. Hypertension due to renovascular compromise is unusual as the only presenting feature of TA