title: [Spontaneous isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery: an uncommon cause of acute abdomen. A case report].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Isolated spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery is the most common digestive artery dissection. It is a rare cause of acute abdomen. Only a few hundred cases have been reported in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a 40-year-old man with a past medical history of high blood pressure who presented abdominal pain that was related to a spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery. Computed tomography revealed an isolated dissection of superior mesenteric artery. There were no evidence of bowel ischemia. We decided a conservative treatment and the outcome was favorable, without recurrent symptoms or disease progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on this case report, we discuss the etiology of this vascular lesion and the contribution of computed tomography in the diagnosis, the therapeutic strategy and the follow-up of spontaneous dissection of superior mesenteric artery.
authors.affiliation: Service d'imagerie médicale, centre traumatologie et des grands brûlés de Tunis, avenue du Grand Maghreb, Nabeul 8000, Tunisie. Electronic address: alifa_daghfous@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daghfous
authors.affiliation: Service d'imagerie médicale, hôpital MT Maâmouri, Nabeul, Tunisie.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bouzaidi
authors.affiliation: Service d'imagerie médicale, centre traumatologie et des grands brûlés de Tunis, avenue du Grand Maghreb, Nabeul 8000, Tunisie.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rezgui Marhoul
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Artère mésentérique supérieure; Computed tomography; Dissection; Etiology; Superior mesenteric artery; Tomodensitométrie; Étiologie