Endovascular recanalisation of an acute superior mesenteric artery occlusion. A case report and review of the literature

Antegrade in situ laser fenestration of aortic stent graft during endovascular aortic repair: A case report

BACKGROUND

The endovascular repair of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JAAA) usually requires combination treatment with various stent graft modifications to preserve side branch patency. As a feasible technique, according to the situation, antegrade in situ laser fenestration still needs to be improved.

CASE SUMMARY

This report describes a case that was successfully treated with endovascular repair facilitated by antegrade in situ laser fenestration while maintaining renal arterial flow. Laser fenestration was performed using a steerable sheath positioned in the stent graft lumen in front of the renal artery ostium. With the bare stent region unreleased, renal artery perfusion could be maintained and accurate positioning could be achieved by angiography in real time.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests the feasibility and short-term safety of this novel antegrade in situ laser fenestration technique for select JAAA patients.

Endovascular Treatment for Acute Thromboembolic Occlusion of the Superior Mesenteric Artery and the Outcome Comparison between Endovascular and Open Surgical Treatments: A Retrospective Study

We reported our experience with endovascular treatment for patients with acute thromboembolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (ATOS) as well as comparing the efficacy between endovascular and traditional open surgical treatments. Eighteen consecutive patients with ATOS who received endovascular treatment and 12 patients who received open surgical treatment between February 2007 and October 2012 at Tianjin Union Medical Center (Tianjin, China) were retrospectively reviewed. Primary clinical outcomes included the technical success, requirement of laparotomy, length of bowel resection, perioperative mortality within 30 days, and surgical complications. The patients were followed up for 0.1 to 98 months. For patients who underwent endovascular treatment, complete technical success was achieved in 8 (44.4%) patients and partial success was achieved in the remaining 10 (55.6%) patients. Laparotomy was required in 6 (33.3%) patients. The 30-day mortality was 16.7%. In comparison to open surgical therapy, endovascular therapy achieved lower requirement of laparotomy (in 33.3% versus in 58.3% of cases, p = 0.18), significantly shorter average length of bowel resection (88 ± 44 versus 253 ± 103 cm, p = 0.01), and lower mortality rate (16.7% versus 33.3%, p = 0.68). The endovascular therapy is a promising treatment alternative for ATOS.

Percutaneous aspiration embolectomy of superior mesenteric artery using a 5MAX ACE reperfusion catheter

Acute mesenteric ischaemia is a rare abdominal emergency that commonly results in bowel infarction and has a very high mortality rate. Therefore, prompt recognition and treatment are crucial for a successful outcome. A thrombectomy for embolism in the mid portion of the main trunk of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is proposed. A near-complete thrombi removal from the main trunk of the SMA was achieved by using a 5MAX ACE reperfusion catheter, which was designed for treating cerebral embolism. This is the first report describing the treatment of acute mesenteric ischaemia using this catheter. Percutaneous aspiration embolectomy with this catheter is a useful modality for recanalization of embolic occlusion of not only the cerebral artery but also the SMA.

Multi-slice CT for diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) has an acute onset and a high mortality rate with nonspecific clinical presentation and is difficult to diagnose. In recent years, due to fast submillimeter scanning and subtle three-dimensional reconstruction, 64-row multi-slice CT can distinctly demonstrate the stenosis and occlusion of the mesenteric vessels, assess the alteration of morphology and blood perfusion of the intestinal wall and mesentery, and promptly and accurately diagnose AMI, intestinal infarction and its etiology. Therefore, CT has become the most valuable and first-line diagnostic modality for evaluating patients with suspected AMI. AMI has different and complicated CT findings due to different etiology, pathology, extent, position, as well as with or without mural hemorrhage or infection. In this article, we systematically review the multi-slice CT manifestations of AMI and its diagnostic value in various causes of AMI in different stages.

Embolic superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion secondary to a cardiac sarcoma

We present a case of embolic acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) secondary to an underlying cardiac sarcoma, an exceedingly rare presentation only reported twice before. A 46-year-old man presented to accident and emergency department during the night with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. An urgent CT angiograph demonstrated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion with ischaemic small bowel. Joint surgical effort from vascular and general surgeons successfully recanalised the SMA and a 20 cm segment of small bowel was resected. Postoperatively, an echocardiogram demonstrated a mass within the left atrium. After cardiothoracic resection, the mass was found to be a rare undifferentiated cardiac sarcoma. Further staining on the embolus retrieved from the SMA revealed scattered spindle cells with a similar immunohistochemistry profile to that of the resected cardiac sarcoma. The patient was subsequently discharged well on lifelong warfarin.