Spontaneous superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection: an unusual cause of abdominal pain

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Nicole J WatringFrancis L Counselman

Abstract

A 44-year-old woman presented to our Emergency Department with a 4-day history of severe, sharp left upper quadrant abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. She had been seen 3 days prior at another Emergency Department, and had a negative work-up including a normal non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen/pelvis for possible kidney stone. Vital signs were: temperature 36.3°C (97.3°F), pulse 100 beats/min, respiratory rate 18 breaths/min, and blood pressure 141/80 mm Hg. Physical examination was remarkable for marked tenderness in the left upper and middle quadrants and voluntary guarding. Bowel sounds were normal. Although laboratory studies were normal, a CT scan of the abdomen/pelvis with intravenous contrast suggested a superior mesenteric artery dissection. This was confirmed with arteriography. The clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management of superior mesenteric artery dissection are reviewed.

References

Nov 1, 1989·Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography·F CorbettiG Thiene
May 22, 2002·Journal of Vascular Surgery·Yann GouëfficPhilippe Patra
Feb 3, 2004·Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology·Young-Won YoonDo Yun Lee
Apr 26, 2006·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·Shih-Heng ChangKao-Lang Liu

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Mar 25, 2014·Journal of Vascular Surgery·H Edward Garrett
Aug 14, 2015·Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række·Monica Chahal-Kummen, Jørgen Joakim Jørgensen
Feb 3, 2015·The Journal of Emergency Medicine·Nobuhiro AkuzawaMasahiko Kurabayashi

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Blood Clotting Disorders

Thrombophilia includes conditions with increased tendency for excessive blood clotting. Blood clotting occurs when the body has insufficient amounts of specialized proteins that make blood clot and stop bleeding. Here is the latest research on blood clotting disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric condition characterized by severe weight loss and secondary problems associated with malnutrition. Here is the latest research on AN.