Spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery

Diagnosis and Management of Isolated Superior Mesenteric Artery Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The objective of this study was to analyze the three different management modalities for isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection. We did a comprehensive literature search and found 703 articles on the initial search, out of which 111 articles consisting of 145 patients were selected for analysis. The mean age was 55.7 years (standard deviation,9.7;33-85) and 80.6% were male. These patients were managed conservatively (41.3%), endovascularly (28.1%) or surgically (30%). The median follow-up was 10 months (interquartile range [IQR], 4-18 months), 12 months (IQR, 6-19 months) and 14 months (IQR, 6-20 months) respectively. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) was the most commonly used diagnostic tool in the conservative group (43.8%), while conventional CT scan was the most widely used in endovascular (58.1%) and surgical group (50%). 17% percent of the conservative group had SMA angiography for diagnosis, while this was less than 3% in the other groups. Of these patients, 96.7%, 97.4%, and 100.0% recovered successfully in the conservative, endovascular, and surgical groups respectively. There was no significant difference in the mortality between the three groups (Pearson χ²=0.482). This suggests a conservative and endovascular approach could be used in most patients, which can reduce costs and surgery-related morbidity and mortality. Surgical management should be reserved for cases having infarction or widespread bowel ischemia and in cases where other treatment modalities fail.

Management of isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection

AIM: To evaluate our experience of the clinical management of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (ISMAD).

METHODS: From January 2008 to July 2013, 18 patients with ISMAD were retrospectively analyzed, including 7 patients who received conservative therapy, 9 patients who received reconstruction with bare stents, and 2 patients who underwent surgical treatment. The decision to intervene was based on anatomic suitability, patient comorbidities and symptoms.

RESULTS: Intestinal ischemia-related symptoms completely resolved in 7 patients who received conservative therapy. Stent placement was successful in 9 patients. Of the 9 patients who received endovascular stenting, abdominal pain was alleviated after the procedure and gradually disappeared within 3 d. Follow-up computed tomography and computed tomography angiography were available in all patients during the first month and the first year after the procedure, which revealed patent stent and patent involved superior mesenteric artery branches with complete obliteration of the dissection lesion. In the 2 patients who underwent surgical treatment, good clinical efficacy was also observed.

CONCLUSION: ISMAD may be managed successfully in a variety of ways based on the clinical symptoms. ISMAD should be treated by conservative management as the first-line option, however, in those with bowel necrosis or imminent arterial rupture during conservative therapy, endovascular or surgical therapy is indicated.

Percutaneous Endovascular Reconstruction With Bare Stent Implantation for Isolated Superior Mesenteric Artery Dissection

Background:

Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (ISMAD) is exceedingly rare. The therapeutic options range from observation to medical treatment to surgery or endovascular repair. We present our experience of the clinical management of ISMADs.

Methods:

Sixteen patients with ISMAD from January 2008 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The decision to intervene was based on anatomic suitability, patient comorbidities, and symptoms. Percutaneous endovascular reconstruction with bare stents was carried out in 7 patients in this study, for patients with persistent abdominal pain despite conservative treatment or signs of bowel ischemia. The patients were kept on antiplatelet therapy from 6 to 10 months postoperatively.

Results:

All attempted bare stent placements were successfully accomplished without any treatment-related complication. Of the 7 patients with ISMADs, 4 were treated by single stents, 2 by double overlapping stents, and 1 by triple overlapping stents. The abdominal pain alleviated after procedure and disappeared gradually within 3 days. None of the patients had ISMAD symptoms during follow-up (median, 21.7 months; range, 11-32 months). Follow-up computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography revealed patent stent and patent superior mesenteric artery (SMA) branches with complete obliteration of the dissection.

Conclusion:

Isolated SMA dissection may be managed successfully in a variety of ways based on the clinical symptoms. In this small series, percutaneous endovascular reconstruction with bare stent implantation is a feasible treatment choice with a high success rate and good clinical outcome.

Therapeutic regimen options for isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the reproducible experience obtained during the treatment of superior mesenteric artery dissection (SMAD) and to investigate the therapeutic options for this condition.

METHODS

The clinical data from 10 patients with SMAD were retrospectively analyzed, including 6 patients receiving conservative therapy, 2 patients receiving endovascular stenting, 1 patient receiving dissecting aneurysm resection plus vascular prosthesis grafting, and 1 patient receiving thrombectomy plus intimectomy.

RESULTS

For the 6 patients subjected to the conservative therapy, the symptoms were thoroughly under control without relapse during the follow-up; for the 2 patients receiving endovascular stenting, the computed tomography (CT) examination performed during the follow-up demonstrated a patent true lumen and an occluded false lumen; for the patient with dissecting aneurysm resection plus vascular prosthesis grafting, a short dissection was observed at the distal end of the vascular prosthesis but without progression during the 14-month follow-up period; for the patient with thrombectomy plus intimectomy, postoperatively, the patient experienced diarrhea, body weight loss, and hypoproteinemia, and CT scanning demonstrated segmental SMA occlusions, which were not fully remitted by conservative therapy until the application of endovascular stenting 4 months later.

CONCLUSIONS

The therapeutic regimen for isolated SMAD should be established based on the clinical symptoms of the patient and the hemodynamic status in SMA. The conservative therapy is mainly indicated for the asymptomatic patients or those with short-term symptoms, while the endovascular or surgical therapy should be recommended for those with persistent intestinal ischemia-related symptoms, rupture of artery, and/or obvious aneurysmal false lumen dilation at a high risk of rupture.

Management of spontaneous isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery: Case report and literature review

BACKGROUND AND METHOD

The aim of this study was to assess retrospectively the clinical presentation, management and outcome of three patients with isolated SMA dissection encountered at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, Japan from 2005 to 2006, along with a review of the literature. We follow up the patient's clinical symptoms and the image by using enhanced dynamic CT at 1 week, 1 or 2 months, 6 months, and yearly after onset.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present three patients with acute abdominal pain due to spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), who were treated by surgical revascularization or conservative management. Two patients underwent surgery because of signs or symptoms of intestinal ischemia and one patient elected conservative management. The SMA was repaired by bypass graft in two cases, and in one of these, the graft was occluded because of prominent native flow from the SMA. All patients were symptom free and there was no evidence of disease recurrence after a median follow-up of 4.3 years.

CONCLUSION

Although the indications for surgery are still controversial, we should proceed with exploratory laparotomy if the patient has acute symptoms with suspicion of mesenteric ischemia. A non-operative approach for SMA dissection requires close follow-up abdominal CT, with a focus on the clinical signs of mesenteric ischemia and the vascular supply of the SMA, including collateral flow from the celiac artery and inferior mesenteric artery.