A CASE OF POLYARTERITIS NODOSA CAUSING SMALL INTESTINAL NECROSIS

Abstract

A 33-year-old woman seen at another hospital because of epigastric pain and right lower abdominal pain was referred to the hospital because palliative therapies for her symptoms were unsuccessful. On admission, fever, accelerated inflammatory reaction, and right lower abdominal pain with tenderness were noted, but there were no peritoneal signs. Although symptomatic remission was gained by palliative therapy, aggravation of symptoms occurred again and the patient required surgery. During surgery, we found that the small intestine in the pelvis had been extensively and interruptedly necrotized, and performed a resection of the small intestine. Pathological diagnosis was small intestinal necrosis due to polyarteritis nodosa.
Polyarteritis nodosa causes a variety of general symptoms, but it is rare that the disease presents with acute abdomen demanding a laparotomy. We report this case of polyarteritis nodosa which presented with acute abdomen and caused small intestinal necrosis.