Celiac artery embolism: case report.

The authors describe an unusual case of acute gastrointestinal ischemia due to celiac artery embolism. The patient, a 23-year-old man who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction, underwent selective angiography under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation because angiography demonstrated good collateral filling and because of his poor cardiac status he was treated nonoperatively with intravenously administered heparin. Points to be considered in the diagnosis of acute intestinal ischemia include: (a) if the initial investigations are suggestive of the condition, angiography should be performed; it can be done easily and safely under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, (b) the symptoms are often more severe than one would expect from the physical findings and (c) celiac artery occlusion may be more common than previously thought.