MDCT of acute conditions affecting the mesenteric vasculature

Acute conditions affecting the mesenteric vessels can cause abdominal pain and result in significant morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed and treated quickly. As bowel viability depends on patency of the mesenteric vessels, prompt diagnosis is essential. Helical multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) provides a rapid, widely available, non-invasive method to promptly evaluate the mesenteric arteries, veins, and abdominopelvic viscera. Given the value of MDCT in diagnosing vascular disease, it is important the radiologist understand technical and imaging findings of mesenteric vascular injury. Therefore, successful diagnosis hinges on familiarity with MDCT angiography and the extended capabilities of volume rendering and multiplanar reformation. In this review, we illustrate and describe key MDCT findings of congenital, inflammatory, traumatic, infectious, and thromboembolic conditions affecting the mesenteric vasculature in adult patients.