[Value of preoperative diagnosis in mesenteric vascular occlusion. A prospective study]

In a prospective study the value of preoperative diagnostics in acute mesenteric vascular occlusion was investigated in 46 patients. Seventeen patients had an arterial thrombosis, 17 a venous thrombosis, 10 had an emboli and 2 patients suffered from a non-occlusive mesenteric infarction. All patients had leucocytosis with an average of 21,000/nl; serum lactate was increased in 91.4% and phosphate was increased in 36.4%. In 82.6% of the cases loops of the small bowel were seen on the X-ray of the abdomen, but in none of the patients an acute mesenteric vascular occlusion was suspected based on the X-ray alone. In 5 of the 46 cases the occlusion could be seen sonographically. The angiography had a sensitivity of 77%.