Acute Mesenteric Ischemia: Causes and Mortality Rate in Shiraz, Southern Iran

Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a catastrophic disorder of gastrointestinal tract with high mortality. Due to recognition in advanced stages and late treatment of patients, the disease is still a highly fatal one. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of the disease in the region. Methods: In a retrospective study, all patients’ records of public and private hospitals in Shiraz, southern Iran, with the impression of acute abdomen, bowel gangrene or abdominal pain, and patients with risk factors for the disease, who were admitted from March 1989 to March 2005, were reviewed and those with AMI were enrolled in the study. Results: Among 10,000 patients’ records, 105 patients with AMI were identified. Mean age of patients was 57 years. The most common symptom was abdominal pain (98.09%). Heart disease was seen in 44.7% of cases. The mortality rate was lower in patients undergoing mesenteric angiography (P=0.014). When the site of lesion was exactly defined, venous thrombosis was found to be the most common type (41.9%). Conclusion: AMI was a common cause of acute abdomen in our area especially in the elderly with venous thrombosis as the most common type. Early diagnosis especially with early use of mesenteric angiography and treatment may decrease the mortality from AMI.