Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research  2017;93(4):225-228

doi:10.4174/astr.2017.93.4.225

Inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula.

Seunghun LEE 1 ; Jooweon CHUNG ; Byungkwon AHN ; Seunghyun LEE ; Sunguhn BAEK

Affiliations

+expand

Keywords

Arteriovenous fistula; Inferior mesenteric artery; Ischemic colitis; Portal hypertension

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) involving the inferior mesenteric artery and vein is very rare with only 33 cases described in the literature and may be of congenital or acquired (iatrogenic or traumatic) or idiopathic etiology. The pathophysiology of AVF that acts as a left-to-right shunt has accounted for clinical signs and symptoms associated with ischemic colitis, portal hypertension, and heart failure. A low incidence and nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms such as abdominal pain, thrill and mass, lower and upper gastrointestinal bleeding make it difficult to establish a diagnosis of inferior mesenteric AVF. Diagnosis of inferior mesenteric AVF is usually established by radiological or intraoperative examination. We report a case of idiopathic inferior mesenteric AVF causing ischemic colitis in a 56-year-old man that was diagnosed preoperatively by multidetector computed tomography and angiography and successfully treated by surgical resection.