This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The patient with an acute occlusion to their superior mesenteric artery may present with a sudden onset, severe colicky abdominal pain. The patient is classically elderly and has a past history of cardiac or arterial disease. Occasionally, the pain is vague and insidious.

Vomiting and diarrhoea can develop, and both may have a bloody element due to slow haemorrhage into the bowel lumen.

Physical signs are minimal initially and the patient is classically noted at this time to have pain out of proportion to the examination findings. However, as necrosis passes outwards from the mucosa, guarding, tenderness, abdominal distention and an absence of bowel sounds are apparent. Shock is a late sign.


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.