Mesenteric venous thrombosis complicating acute appendicitis: A case series

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical conditions. In the current era it rarely presents in association with mesenteric venous thrombosis. We present 4 cases of mesenteric venous thrombosis occurring in the setting of acute appendicitis.

We performed a retrospective review of Mayo Enterprise clinical database for inpatients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis and venous thrombosis related ICD-10 codes. Charts for patients with a diagnosis of mesenteric venous thrombosis and acute appendicitis were reviewed to identify demographic data, findings at presentation, and management patterns.

A total of 1,615 inpatients were identified with a principle diagnosis of acute appendicitis across the Mayo Enterprise from October 1st, 2015- March 31st, 2019. Four inpatients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis were also noted to have a mesenteric venous thrombosis at presentation resulting in an incidence of 0.25 %. Mean duration of symptoms at presentation was 12.25 days. All patients with acute appendicitis and mesenteric venous thrombosis were initially managed with a heparin drip, antibiotics, and intravenous fluids. Ultimately, 3 of 4 patients underwent appendectomy.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis complicating acute appendicitis is rare and typically presents in a delayed fashion. Patients without evidence of non-viable bowel are typically treated initially with intravenous fluid resuscitation, antibiotics, bowel rest, and anticoagulation with a heparin drip.