The evidence for nonoperative management of visceral artery dissections: a single-center experience

Spontaneous isolated visceral artery dissection is an uncommon condition encountered by clinicians. Presentation may vary from asymptomatic to acute intestinal ischemia, although a clear natural history has yet to be elucidated. No consensus exists on how best to manage these patients in the absence of true intestinal ischemia; however, much of the literature suggests that intervention is required. We present our institution's experience with 10 patients, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, all but 1 of whom was managed medically.

From September 2009 to August 2013, 10 patients presented to our institution with celiac or mesenteric artery dissection. We retrospectively reviewed these patients' clinical presentation, treatment, and follow-up.

The mean age of the patients was 61.5 ± 10.3 (standard deviation [SD]) years (range, 41-77 years), and the mean follow-up period was 14.7 ± 11.6 (SD) months (range, 1-31 months). Four (40%) patients had abdominal pain and no ischemic changes of the bowel. There were 1 type I, 6 type II, 2 type III, and 1 type IV dissections according to Sakamoto classification. Treatments included observation without anticoagulation treatment in 8 patients (80%), anticoagulation treatment in 1 patient (10%), and endovascular stenting in 1 patient (10%) with unremitting abdominal pain. Anticoagulation was used in the 1 symptomatic patient with radiographic evidence of associated thrombus. The disease stabilized in all patients during follow-up.

Most authors tend to advocate an endovascular or even operative repair for these processes. In our experience, most of these patients have a self-limited course of symptoms or their dissections are found incidentally. We believe that the results of conservative management in our cohort of patients support the conservative approach over the once recommended operative repair.