investigations
Last reviewed 01/2018
Patients with occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery may be investigated along the following lines:
- FBC: may show leucocytosis
- biochemistry:
- mildly raised serum amylase
- increased inorganic phosphate indicates intestinal infarction
- metabolic acidosis
- radiology:
- plain abdominal X-ray:
- absence of bowel gas at first
- later, appearances of ileus, mucosal oedema and gas in the bowel wall and portal vein
- mesenteric angiography:
- often diagnostic, but difficult to do in the moribund patient