[The clinical analysis for 43 cases of acute superior mesenteric artery thrombosis confirmed by angiography and surgery].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical manifestations and mortality related risk factors in patients with acute superior mesenteric artery embolism (ASMAE).

METHODS

Clinical data of forty-three confirmed ASMAE patients in the PLA General Hospital from June 2002 to June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were classified into the survival group (28 cases) and the death group (15 cases) according to the prognosis. The prognosis associated factors were further analyzed.

RESULTS

The study group consisted of 31 men (72.1%) and 12 women (27.9%), with average age of (63 ± 11) years. The majority patients with ASMAE in our study had history of atherosclerotic diseases. The main clinical manifestations included abdominal pain [100% (43/43)], nausea and vomitting [55.8% (24/43)], hematochezia [32.6% (14/43)]. Abdominal CT scan was performed in 74.4% (32/43) patients with a high positive result of 96.9% (31/32).Weight loss occurred more frequently in survival group than in death group [32.1% (9/28) vs 6.7% (1/15) , P = 0.001]. Moreover, weight loss has been shown as a protective factor for ASMAE survival (OR = 0.75, P = 0.038) by logistic analysis. Compared with the death group, the incidence of either peritoneal irritation sign or ascites was significantly lower in survival group [respectively 7.1% (2/28) vs 66.7% (10/15), 14.3% (4/28) vs 73.3% (11/15), P < 0.05], which were two independent risk factors of mortality (OR = 8.51, P = 0.014; OR = 3.07, P = 0.028) . The incidence of main artery embolism of superior mesentery artery (SMA) in death group was higher than that in survival group [93.3% (14/15) vs 60.7% (17/28), P = 0.023]. Main artery embolism of SMA was also an independent mortality risk factor of ASMAE patients (OR = 5.05, P = 0.039) . A total of 18 patients were treated with enterectomy.Intestine excision length was shorter in survival group than in death group [(82.8 ± 25.2)cm vs (141.0 ± 18.1) cm, P = 0.017]. The time from onset to operation in survival group was shorter than that in death group [(44.8 ± 29.7) h vs (69.1 ± 28.0) h, P = 0.013].

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with ASMAE based on chronic ischemia have a relative good prognosis for survival. Peritoneal irritation sign, ascites and main artery embolism of SMA were independent risk factors for death in ASMAE.Intestine excision length and the interval from onset to operation may affect the mortality of ASMAE patients.