title: [Acute mesenteric ischemia: Value of cross-sectional imaging].
abstract: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a life-threatening emergency with prognosis directly correlated with the delay in diagnosis and treatment. Clinical and laboratory findings are nonspecific and it is imperative to look for findings of AMI on CT and ultrasound examinations performed in patients with acute abdomen. Arterial and venous ischemia are different entities with different clinical and imaging features, treatment and prognosis. The main causes of AMI are arterial thromboembolic disease and low-flow state. Venous ischemia is less frequent. Due to its high reported sensitivity (90%), CT should be performed as a firstline imaging modality when AMI is suspected. CT and ultrasound imaging features of AMI include: bowel wall thickness and enhancement abnormalities, pneumatosis, portal venous gas, demonstration of intravascular thrombus, bowel dilatation and ascitis.
authors.affiliation: Service d'imagerie médicale, CHU Saint-Eloi, 80, avenue Augustin-Fliche, 34295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. e-delhom@chu-montpellier.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delhom
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aufort
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shrembi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lonjon
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bruel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gallix
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D065666:Mesenteric Ischemia; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology