Patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia have an altered sublingual microcirculation

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Microcirculatory alterations in chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) are poorly understood.
• Hypothesis: CMI patients have impaired microcirculatory function and a distinct oral microcirculatory response to caloric challenge compared to controls.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sublingual microcirculatory function in patients with CMI.
• To assess the microcirculatory response to a caloric challenge in CMI patients versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Sublingual micro-circulation assessment (total vessel density, perfused vessel density, proportion of perfused vessels, microvascular flow index) before and after a caloric challenge.
• Comparison between 12 CMI patients and 12 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• CMI patients showed decreased proportion of perfused vessels and microvascular flow index at baseline compared to controls.
• Following caloric challenge, CMI patients demonstrated significant increases in perfused vessel density and proportion of perfused vessels.
• Healthy controls exhibited no significant microcirculatory changes after caloric challenge.

Conclusions:

• CMI patients present with impaired baseline sublingual microcirculation and a reactive response to caloric challenge.
• Healthy individuals have normal baseline microcirculation without a reactive response to caloric challenge.
• Sublingual microcirculation visualization may serve as a rapid, noninvasive tool for identifying patients at risk for CMI.