[Diagnosis, intensive therapy and surgery of peritonitis and enterocolic occlusions of thromboembolic origin]

The authors present a series of 14 cases of intestinal or colonic obstruction due to arterial ischema (7 cases) or mesenteric vein thrombosis (7 cases), for which they provide an analysis of pathogenesis, clinical aspects, surgical strategy, and intensive care. Mortality was 87.5% in cases of arterial origin and 42.8% in those of venous origin. The authors stress the need for diagnosing intestinal infarction right from the start, relying on clinical intuition and with the help of only a few clinical symptoms and objective signs. Surgically speaking, the best chance of survival is afforded by restoration of arterial or venous patency associated with whatever resection of the ileum or colon the anatomical situation may require.