Radiographic Findings of
Mesenteric Ischemia
Joyce Liu, Harvard Medical School, Year IV
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD August 2001
2
Agenda
• Patient presentation
• Initial presentation
• Radiographic findings
• Differential diagnosis
• Clinical course
• Imaging of mesenteric ischemia
• Modalities
• Findings
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
3
Our Patient
Initial Presentation
• 68 yo woman admitted with severe
congestive heart failure and atrial
fibrillation
• Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed
two large 1.5 cm thrombi in left atrial
appendage
• Gradual onset of abdominal pain after
admission
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
4
KUB: Upright & Supine
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS PACS
Splenic Artery Calcification
5
CT: Significant findings
• Calcified
splenic artery
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Splenic
infarct
• Free fluid in
abdomen
• Several
thickened
loops of
bowel PACS
6
CT: Significant findings
• Calcified
splenic artery
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Splenic
infarct
• Free fluid in
abdomen
• Several
thickened
loops of
bowel
PACS
7
CT: Significant findings
• Calcified
splenic artery
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Splenic
infarct
• Free fluid in
abdomen
• Several
thickened
loops of
bowel
PACS
8
CT: Significant findings
• Calcified
splenic artery
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Splenic
infarct
• Free fluid in
abdomen
• Several
thickened
loops of
bowel
PACS
9
Differential Diagnosis:
Bowel Wall Thickening
• Regular
• Coagulation defects
• Trauma
• Ischemia/Infarction
• Hypoproteinemia
• Ascites
• Mesenteric lymphatic
or venous obstruction
• Giardiasis
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Irregular
• Infection – Giardia,
Histoplasmosis, TB,
Yersinia,
Strongyloides
• Lymphoma
• Metastases
• Crohn’s disease
• Whipple’s disease
• Amyloidosis
10
CT: Vascular Imaging
• Patent superior
mesenteric
artery (SMA)
and celiac trunk
• Calcified
splenic artery
• Free fluid
• Splenic infarct
PACS
11
Clinical Course #1
• Patient received IV antibiotics and
appeared to improve clinically.
• Approximately one week later, patient
again developed abdominal pain,
worsening greatly over 24-36 hours,
with accompanying rise in WBC to
23,000.
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
12
CT: Scout Film
• Dependent air
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Bubbly appearance of air ?
in lumen
? Bowel wall
PACS
13
CT: Significant Finding
• Dilated bowel
loops
• Free fluid
• Heavily calcified
aorta
• No portal venous
air
• No free air
• Bubbly
dependent air ?
In bowel wall
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
Air in bowel wall = Pneumatosis Intestinalis
14
CT: Significant Findings
• Dilated bowel
loops
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Bubbly gas
appearance
noted on lung
windows
? In bowel wall
PACS
15
CT: Significant Findings
• Air in dependent
portions of small
bowel
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
16
Differential Diagnosis:
Pneumatosis Intestinalis
• Adults – Mesenteric vascular disease (~30%)
• Infants – Necrotizing enterocolitis
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (4-15%)
• Bowel obstruction (~30%)
• Crohn’s disease
• Autoimmune diseases – lupus, scleroderma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Transplants – renal, liver
• AIDS
17
Clinical Course #2
• Given patient’s history, exploratory
laparotomy was performed.
• At surgery, the following were found:
• Murky, bloody ascites with foul smell
• 2.5 foot section of necrotic small bowel in
mid-jejunum, with ~1 foot that was
gangrenous and perforated
• Small bowel resection was performed.
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
18
Mesenteric Ischemia
• Acute or chronic
• Three pathophysiologic mechanisms:
• Arterial occlusion
• Venous occlusion
• Low-flow state
• Commonly used imaging modalities:
• Plain film (KUB)
• CT
• Angiography
• MR angiography (MRA) – in development
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
19
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: KUB
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Paucity of gas in
abdomen
• Pneumatosis
• Portal vein gas
• Fixation of infarcted
loops on serial
examinations
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
20
Pneumatosis Coli = Air in bowel wall
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Paucity of gas in
abdomen
• Pneumatosis
• Portal vein gas
• Fixation of infarcted
loops on serial
examinations
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
21
Air in portal venous system on KUB
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Paucity of gas in
abdomen
• Pneumatosis
• Portal vein gas
• Fixation of infarcted
loops on serial
examinations
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
22
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: CT
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Large mesenteric
vessels
• Pneumatosis
• Free fluid
• Portal vein gas
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Infarction of other
viscera
• Thrombus
• Pneumoperitoneum
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Thrombus
• Portal vein gas
23
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: CT
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Large mesenteric
vessels
• Pneumatosis
• Free fluid
• Portal vein gas
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Infarction of other
viscera
• Thrombus
• Pneumoperitoneum
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Thrombus
• Portal vein gas
24
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: CT
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
• Large mesenteric
vessels
• Pneumatosis
• Free fluid
• Portal vein gas
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Infarction of other
viscera
• Thrombus
• Pneumoperitoneum
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Thrombus
• Portal vein gas
25
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia:
Angiography
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS PACS
Aortogram
Stenosis
Selective Celiac Arteriogram
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Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia:
Angiography
• Tortuous Arc
of Riolan
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
27
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia:
Angiography
• Tortuous Arc
of Riolan
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
28
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia:
Angiography
• Tortuous Arc
of Riolan
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
29
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia:
Angiography
• Tortuous Arc
of Riolan
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
PACS
30
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: MRA
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
celiac
SMA
31
Summary
• Modalities for imaging mesenteric ischemia:
• KUB
• CT
• Radiologic findings with mesenteric ischemia:
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
• KUB
• Dilated bowel loops
• Bowel wall thickening
(Thumbprinting)
• Pneumatosis
(air in bowel wall)
• Portal vein gas
• CT
• Large mesenteric vessels
• Free fluid
• Mesenteric venous gas
• Thrombus in vessels
• Bowel wall thickening
• Air in bowel wall
• Air in portal venous system• Angiography
• Filling defects
• Stenoses/blockage
• Tortuous Arc of Riolan
• Angiography
• MRA (in development)
32
References
• Baden JG, Racy DJ, Grist TM. Contrast-Enhanced Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance
Angiography of the Meseteric Vasculature. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 1999.
10: 369-375.
• Brancatelli G, Rosello M. Images in Hepatology: Gas in the Portal Vein. Journal of
Hepatology, 1999. 30: 1151.
• Friedman S, DeMuro JP, Brebbia J, Ortega D, Barraco R, Brathwaite C, Perez JM, Smith T.
Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis in a Patient with Celiac Sprue. Contemporary Surgery,
Jan 2001. 57(1): 11-13.
• Hofmann LV, Beall DP, Jones B, Fishman EK, Heitmiller R. Hepatic-portal venous gas and
pneumatosis intestinalis: Two cases with open jejunostomy tubes. Applied Radiology, Nov
1997.
• Lund EC, Han SY, Holley HC, Berland LL. Intestinal ischemia: Comparison of plain
radiographic and computed tomographic findings. RadioGraphics, Nov 1988. 8(6): 1083-
1108.
• Scholz, FJ. Ischemic Bowel Disease. Radiologic Clinics of North America. Nov 1993. 31(6):
1197-1218.
• Sebastia C, Quiroga S, Espin E, Boye R, Alvarez-Castelis A, Armengol M. Portomesenteric
Vein Gas: Pathologic Mechanisms, CT Findings, and Prognosis. RadioGraphics, Sep 2000.
20(5): 1213-1226.
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
33
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the following individuals
for their invaluable assistance:
Dr. Gillian Lieberman
Dr. Scott Lin
Pamela Lepkowski
Larry Barbaras and Cara Lyn D’amour
Joyce Liu
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Radiographic Findings of Mesenteric Ischemia
Agenda
Our Patient �Initial Presentation
KUB: Upright & Supine
CT: Significant findings
Slide Number 6
Slide Number 7
Slide Number 8
Differential Diagnosis:�Bowel Wall Thickening
CT: Vascular Imaging
Clinical Course #1
CT: Scout Film
CT: Significant Finding
CT: Significant Findings
CT: Significant Findings
Differential Diagnosis:�Pneumatosis Intestinalis
Clinical Course #2
Mesenteric Ischemia
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: KUB
Slide Number 20
Slide Number 21
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: CT
Slide Number 23
Slide Number 24
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: Angiography
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: Angiography
Slide Number 27
Slide Number 28
Slide Number 29
Imaging Mesenteric Ischemia: MRA
Summary
References
Acknowledgments