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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Multimodality Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ischemia
Published on: July 21, 2023
[Paradoxical embolism and ischemia of the digestive tract]
A Kaladji1, F Gérard, C Audinet
1Service de chirurgie vasculaire, CHU de Rennes, hôpital Pontchaillou, 35033 Rennes cedex 9, France. kaladrien@hotmail.fr
Abstract:
The digestive tract is an uncommon location of acute ischemia, especially when caused paradoxical embolism. We report the case of a 69-year-old patient initially hospitalized for a acute ischemia of the upper limb. Physical examination and complementary tests enabled the diagnosis of paradoxical embolism with bilateral pulmonary embolism leading to elevated pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which opened the oval foramen. The patient also presented ischemia involving the digestive trunks, the upper limb and the kidneys. Rapid diagnosis is a major challenge in this condition controlling the prognosis of this uncommon disease.
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