Mesenteric Artery Dissection and Wall-Thickening, Case Study and General Review

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Radiology

Background:

• Mesenteric artery dissection (D) and wall-thickening (WT) are uncommon vasculopathies.
• These conditions can lead to severe complications if not managed properly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the diagnosis and management of mesenteric artery D and WT.
• To review patient outcomes and identify effective treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

• Single-center analysis of 101 patients evaluated for mesenteric D and/or WT between 2000 and 2020.
• Review of patient demographics, etiologies, clinical presentations, management strategies, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• The average patient age was 55.6 years, with a predominantly male demographic (62%).
• Common etiologies included segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM), isolated dissection, vasculitis, fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), and aortic dissection extension.
• Most patients presented with abdominal pain; hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and tobacco use were prevalent comorbidities.
• Management involved conservative (22%), medical (47%), endovascular (19%), and open repair (12%) approaches.
• High in-hospital survival (98%) and symptom relief (73%) were observed.

Conclusions:

• Conservative management is effective for many patients with mesenteric vasculopathies.
• Endovascular or surgical interventions are reserved for symptomatic patients with complex presentations.
• This study contributes to the limited literature on diagnosing and managing rare mesenteric vasculopathies.