Sandbox:Feham

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Feham Tariq, MD [2]

Overview

Mesenteric ischemia is a type of intestinal ischemia primarily affecting the small intestine. It is one of the life-threatening gastrointestinal vascular emergencies which requires prompt surgical/medical intervention depending upon the underlying cause.

Common causes in the development of mesenteric ischemia can be divided into occlusive/non-occlusive, arterial/venous, localized/generalized and superficial/transmural.

Risk Factors

• Mesenteric ischemia can be caused by any factor that can compromise the blood supply to the affected organ; either by reducing the perfusion or by promoting the formation of thromboemboli. It can be broadly classified as occlusive and non-occlusive.
• The most potent risk factor in the development of mesenteric ischemia is superior mesenteric artery occlusion.

Common Risk Factors

• Common risk factors in the development of mesenteric ischemia include:

     *Occluisive causes:
         *Embolic causes
          **Caridac diseases: 
               ***cardiac arrhythmias 
               ***cardiac valvular diseases
               ***infective endocarditis 
               ***recent myocardial infarction
               ***ventricular aneurysm, 
          **
          **
          **

Less Common Risk Factors

• Less common risk factors in the development of [disease name] include:
  • [Risk factor 1]
  • [Risk factor 2]
  • [Risk factor 3]