[Clinical analysis of mesenteric venous thrombosis:a report of 23 cases]

To assess the early clinical diagnosis and treatment of mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT).

Clinical data of 23 cases with MVT from January 1994 to December 2003 were analyzed retrospectively.

There were 17 males and 6 females, the age ranged from 19 to 74 years old with a mean age of 42 years. Of them, 20 patients presented acute MVT. The main symptoms included abdominal pain and distention, nausea, vomiting, and bloody stool. The detect able rates of transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography and CT for MVT were 94.1% and 100% respectively. Nine of 11 (81.8%) patients were cured with non-surgical management. Twelve patients underwent surgical treatments including resection of the infarcted bowel and open mesenteric venous thrombectomy with Fogarty catheter via a branch of mesenteric vein. The in-hospital mortality rate was 8.7%, and the postoperative morbidity rate was 33.3%, including ascites in 2 patients and postprandial abdominal pain in other 2 patients. After follow-up from 2 months to nine years, 3 patients had MVT recurrence because of ceasing anti-coagulation treatment and 3 died of myocardial infarction, liver cancer and hepatic cirrhosis.

Color Doppler ultrasonography and CT scanning are valuable diagnostic methods for MVT, and anticoagulation treatment and operation are effective managements.