A Case of Spontaneous Isolated Dissection of the Superior Mesenteric Artey

Yoshinobu Akiyama, Kenji Omagari, Kentaro Matsubara, Minoru Kitagou, Hiroaki Hattori, Fumio Suzuki and Hitoshi Otaka

Department of Surgery, Tachikawa Hospital

We report the case of a 54-year-old man with asymptomatic isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) found in CT. Three-dimensional reconstructed CT showed that the true lumen was not compressed by the false lumen but no aneurysm had formed. Conservative therapy with an anti platelet agent was chosen, because the patient was asymptomatic for intestinal ischemia. CT 1 year later showed a regressed, completely thrombosed false lumen and a normally dilated true lumen at the origin of the SMA. Solitary SMA dissection is rare. In some cases massive small intestine resection is required, but some cases reported well to anti platelet or anti coagulant therapy, as in our case.

Key words
superior mesenteric artery, isolated dissection, mesenteric ischemia

Reprint requests
Yoshinobu Akiyama Department of Surgery, Tachikawa Hospital
4-2-22 Nishikicho, Tachikawa, 190-8531 JAPAN

Accepted
January 30, 2008

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