Acute Mesenteric Ischemia, a Troublesome Diagnosis

Abstract

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is an infrequent cause of acute hospital admission with a reported mortality rate of 50-90% that requires early diagnosis and treatment. If untreated, AMI can cause mesenteric infarction, intestinal necrosis and death. Early intervention can reverse this process leading to a full recovery, but the diagnosis is often difficult to establish. Acute mesenteric ischemia can be caused by various conditions such as arterial occlusion, venous occlusion, strangulating obstruction, and hypoperfusion associated with nonocclusive vascular disease. In addition, imaging findings vary depending on the cause and underlying pathophysiology. We report a case of patient who presented an acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to a small bowel strangulation caused by bridle.