Ischemic intestinal involvement in a patient with Buerger disease: case report and literature review

J Vasc Surg. 2003 Jul;38(1):170-4. doi: 10.1016/s0741-5214(02)75469-4.

Abstract

A 42-year-old Japanese man who had undergone amputation of the left leg below the knee because of Buerger disease required emergency thrombectomy 7 months later. He complained of acute abdominal pain after thrombectomy. At aortography the distal superior mesenteric artery and its branches were not well visualized. Emergency laparotomy was performed because of suspected intestinal ischemia, and the terminal ileum and cecum and part of the ascending colon were resected. In total, the patient underwent laparotomy four times. Histopathologic findings revealed that the arteries and veins of the resected small intestine were occluded with organized thrombi. Inflammatory cell infiltration was recognized mainly in the intima. These findings are compatible with Buerger disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Colectomy / methods
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Intestine, Small / blood supply*
  • Intestine, Small / surgery
  • Ischemia / diagnosis
  • Ischemia / etiology*
  • Ischemia / surgery
  • Male
  • Mesenteric Artery, Superior*
  • Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion / diagnosis
  • Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion / etiology*
  • Thrombectomy
  • Thromboangiitis Obliterans / complications*
  • Thromboangiitis Obliterans / surgery
  • Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Thrombosis / etiology*