Investigations

Patients with occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery may be investigated along the following lines:

• FBC: may show leucocytosis
• biochemistry:
  • mildly raised serum amylase
  • increased inorganic phosphate indicates intestinal infarction
  • metabolic acidosis
• radiology:
  • plain abdominal X-ray:
    • absence of bowel gas at first
    • later, appearances of ileus, mucosal oedema and gas in the bowel wall and portal vein
  • mesenteric angiography:
  • often diagnostic, but difficult to do in the moribund patient