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Investigations

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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

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