Prognosis of 10 cases of short bowel syndrome following acute superior mesenteric arterial occlusion

Abstract

In evaluating the long-term intensive treatments essential for short bowel syndrome, we analyzed 10 cases of acute superior mesenteric arterial (SMA) occlusion. Abdominal CT scan detected a smaller superior mesenteric vein (SMV) sign in five out of seven cases, which was useful in making preoperative diagnosis even in noncontrast-enhanced CT. The greater part of the small intestine and part of the colon which became necrotic were resected in all 10 cases. Six patients who were able to be eventually discharged from the hospital had a mean residual jejunum length of 75 cm. Four patients requiring no parenteral nutrition had a mean intestinal length of 95 cm, compared to 35 cm for the two still requiring parenteral nutrition. We report here a case of a 68-year-old man with a 20-cm residual jejunum after surgery for SMA occlusion. He has been unable to eat orally and requiring total parenteral home nutrition, and suffered from catheter infection requiring 24 catheter replacements. Despite survival exceeding for more than 5 years, longer than that of reported cases so far, his quality of life is not necessarily good.