title: Polyarteritis nodosa and acute abdomen: A role for laparoscopy?
abstract: Mesenteric vasculitis secondary to polyarteritis nodosa represents an atypical but potentially life-threatening cause of bowel ischemia and acute abdomen. The patient presented with severe abdominal pain of recent onset, pitting edema of the legs, renal failure and bowel wall thickening suggestive of mesenteric ischemia on CT scan. Early laparoscopy allowed to rule out proximal bowel necrosis and resection was avoided. The patient was successfully managed with corticosteroid therapy and repeated hemodialysis sessions.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Milan Medical School, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asti
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Milan Medical School, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pogliani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Milan Medical School, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tritella
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Milan Medical School, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy. Electronic address: luigi.bonavina@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonavina
keywords: Acute abdomen; Laparoscopy; Mesenteric ischemia; Mesenteric vasculitis; Pitting edema; Polyarteritis nodosa