Mesenteric vascular thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease: a single center experience

Vascular thrombotic complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are well recognized, although mesenteric vascular thrombotic disease is rare.

We describe nine patients in a tertiary care center with IBD that developed thrombosis of the mesenteric arterial or venous vasculature (e.g., mesenteric thrombosis, MT).

Eight subjects developed mesenteric venous thrombosis (five located in the superior mesenteric vein and three located in a branch of the portal vein) and one had a mesenteric arterial embolus, located in the splenic artery. Five subjects had Crohn's disease (CD), and four had ulcerative colitis. The one subject diagnosed with an arterial thrombosis had CD. Mean time from diagnosis of IBD to diagnosis of thrombosis was 24.6 ± 13.5 years. Five of the nine subjects developed mesenteric venous thrombosis while their IBD was clinically in remission. Seven of nine subjects were symptomatic from the development of MT, including bowel infarction that led to development of short bowel syndrome.

Mesenteric thrombosis is a rare complication of IBD and may develop during clinical remission, suggesting a potential role for factors other than clinically significant inflammation in its pathogenesis.