Clinical Evaluation of Isolated Dissection of the Superior Mesenteric Artery

Abstract

Isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection is a relative rare condition, and there is no consensus on the optimum treatment approach. We reviewed the clinical presentations of 10 such cases we examined between January 2014 and June 2018. Subjects consisted of eight males and two females (mean age: 49 years), six of whom had hypertension. Diagnosis was based on contrast CT findings; the dissection was thrombosed in six cases. All cases underwent medical (non-surgical) treatment: their subsequent course was universally favorable with no deaths. Doctors must consider SMA dissection as a candidate when diagnosing acute abdomen in young men. Nonetheless, the condition’s prognosis is favorable, and so conservative management is recommended.