Intestinal ischemia

Intestinal ischemia
Other namesBowel ischemia
Computed tomography (CT) showing dilated loops of small bowel with thickened walls (black arrow), findings characteristic of ischemic bowel due to thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein.
SpecialtyGeneral surgery, vascular surgery, gastroenterology
SymptomsAcute: sudden severe pain[1]
Chronic: abdominal pain after eating, unintentional weight loss, vomiting[2][1]
Usual onset> 60 years old[3]
TypesAcute, chronic[1]
Risk factorsAtrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic kidney failure, being prone to forming blood clots, previous myocardial infarction[2]
Diagnostic methodAngiography, computed tomography[1]
TreatmentStenting, medications to break down clot, surgery[1][2]
Prognosis~80% risk of death[3]
FrequencyAcute: 5 per 100,000 per year (developed world)[4]
Chronic: 1 per 100,000[5]

Intestinal ischemia is a medical condition in which injury to the large or small intestine occurs due to inadequate blood supply.[2] Onset can be sudden, known as acute intestinal ischemia, or gradual, known as chronic intestinal ischemia.[1] The acute form of the disease often presents with sudden severe abdominal pain and is associated with a high risk of death.[1] The chronic form typically presents more gradually with abdominal pain after eating, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, and fear of eating.[1][2]

Risk factors for acute intestinal ischemia include atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic kidney failure, being prone to forming blood clots, and previous myocardial infarction.[2] 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 superior mesenteric vein, and insufficient blood flow due to low blood pressure or spasms of arteries.[3][6] Chronic disease is a risk factor for acute disease.[7] The best method of diagnosis is angiography, with computed tomography (CT) used when that is not available.[1]

Treatment of acute ischemia may include stenting or medications to break down the clot provided at the site of obstruction by interventional radiology.[1] Open surgery may also be used to remove or bypass the obstruction and may be required to remove any intestines that may have died.[2] If not rapidly treated outcomes are often poor.[1] Among those affected even with treatment the risk of death is 70% to 90%.[3] In those with chronic disease bypass surgery is the treatment of choice.[1] Those who have thrombosis of the vein may be treated with anticoagulation such as heparin and warfarin, with surgery used if they do not improve.[2][8]

Acute intestinal ischemia affects about five per hundred thousand people per year in the developed world.[4] Chronic intestinal ischemia affects about one per hundred thousand people.[5] Most people affected are over 60 years old.[3] Rates are about equal in males and females of the same age.[3] Intestinal ischemia was first described in 1895.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bobadilla, JL (August 2013). "Mesenteric ischemia". The Surgical Clinics of North America. 93 (4): 925–40, ix. doi:10.1016/j.suc.2013.04.002. PMID 23885938.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Yelon, Jay A. (2014). Geriatric Trauma and Critical Care (Aufl. 2014 ed.). New York: Springer Verlag. p. 182. ISBN 9781461485018. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Britt, L.D. (2012). Acute care surgery (1st ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 621. ISBN 9781608314287. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  4. ^ a b Geoffrey D. Rubin (2012). CT and MR Angiography: Comprehensive Vascular Assessment. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 318. ISBN 9781469801834. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  5. ^ a b Gustavo S. Oderich (2014). Mesenteric Vascular Disease: Current Therapy. Springer. p. 105. ISBN 9781493918478. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  6. ^ Creager, Mark A. (2013). Vascular medicine : a companion to Braunwald's heart disease (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. pp. 323–324. ISBN 9781437729306. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  7. ^ Sreenarasimhaiah, J (April 2005). "Chronic mesenteric ischemia". Best Practice & Research. Clinical Gastroenterology. 19 (2): 283–95. doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2004.11.002. PMID 15833694.
  8. ^ Liapis, C.D. (2007). Vascular surgery. Berlin: Springer. p. 420. ISBN 9783540309567. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
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