[Chronic abdominal ischemia syndrome]

The article analyses 303 cases with affection of the visceral branches of the abdominal aorta. In 210 cases it was caused by atherosclerosis, in 67 by nonspecific aorto-arteritis and in 26 by extravasal factors. In 190 cases there were no clinical manifestations of occlusive lesions. The abdominal syndrome was found in 113 patients. The main symptoms were abdominal pain (in 94 patients), intestinal dysfunction (in 84) associated with the intake of food, and in severe stages of ischemia, progressive loss of body weight (in 46 patients). On grounds of the case history, the presence of a murmur in the epigastrium, and symptoms of involvement of other arteries it may be assumed that the abdominal abnormalities are of vascular origin. The principal diagnostic method is angiography which makes it possible to identify and record the affection of visceral branches of the abdominal aorta.