The ratio of superior mesenteric artery diameter to superior mesenteric vein diameter based on non-enhanced computed tomography in the early diagnosis of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection

BACKGROUND:Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery(SMA)dissection(SISMAD)is a rare cause of abdominal pain.The aim of the study is to investigate the role of a new parameter,the ratio of the SMA diameter to the superior mesenteric vein(SMV)diameter(SMA/SMV)based on non-enhanced computed tomography(CT),in the early diagnosis of SISMAD.METHODS:In a registry study from December 2013 to June 2021,97 abdominal pain SISMAD patients(SISMAD group)admitted to our hospital were enrolled.Meanwhile,the matched sex and age abdominal pain non-SISMAD patients at 1:2 were collected in reverse chronological order as the control group.Student’s t-test,Wilcoxon rank-sum test,and Chi-square test were used to compare differences between the SISMAD and control groups.Med Calc was used to generate receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.RESULTS:A total of 291 abdominal pain patients,including 97 SISMAD patients and 194 nonSISMAD patients,were included in the current study.The maximum SMA diameter,perivascular exudation,and SMA/SMV based on non-enhanced CT were significant between the two groups(all P<0.05).ROC curves showed that for the maximum SMA diameter,the area under the curve(AUC),cut-off,sensitivity,and specificity were 0.926,9.80,93.8%,and 79.4%,respectively.For SMA/SMV,its AUC,cut-off,sensitivity,and specificity were 0.956,0.83,88.7%,and 92.3%,respectively.The diagnostic efficiency of SMA/SMV was better than that of the maximum SMA diameter(P<0.05).The combined parameters of SMA/SMV and maximum SMA diameter had the best diagnostic efficiency(AUC=0.970).CONCLUSION:SMA/SMV may be a potential marker for SISMAD.

Diagnosis of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection with ultrasound:A case report

BACKGROUND Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection(SISMAD)is a rare disease that originates from the superior mesenteric artery,without the presence of aortic and other arterial dissections.Most cases are diagnosed using contrastenhanced computed tomography(CECT),whereas the application of ultrasound is less common.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a case of SISMAD with sudden epigastric pain that worsened as the main symptom after eating.The patient had a long history of hypertension with unknown blood pressure control but no history of smoking or alcohol consumption.This case was initially diagnosed using ultrasound and the results were later confirmed by CECT.After admission,the patient fasted,followed by parenteral nutrition support and fluid supplementation to maintain electrolyte and acid–base balance.Metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets and aspirin were given as nonoperative treatments.After 1 wk,the symptoms improved,and the patient was discharged.During telephone follow-up,the patient did not develop similar symptoms.CONCLUSION Whether ultrasound can be used as a routine and noninvasive imaging method for the diagnosis of SISMAD needs further exploration.