Aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery are uncommon, and aneurysms of its branches occur even less frequently. We report the case of a 60-year-old man with an aneurysm of the ileal branch of the superior mesenteric artery whose initial symptom was abdominal pain. Gray-scale and color Doppler sonography provided noninvasive, accurate preoperative identification of the aneurysm despite its uncommon location, a small branch of the superior mesenteric artery. CT and conventional and magnetic resonance angiography confirmed the sonographic diagnosis. The aneurysm was resected successfully, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Although angiography is required for a definitive diagnosis and for surgical planning, sonography is a useful tool for preoperative evaluation and diagnosis of such aneurysms.
Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.