Asymptomatic Intestinal Ischemia Secondary to Thrombosis of the Spleno-Mesenteric Portal Axis: Usefulness of Laparoscopic Approach for Diagnosis and Therapeutical Decisions—Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis (MVT) is a rare but often lethal form of ischemia. The diagnosis may be difficult for the clinician due to its mild symptoms with a great discrepancy between the pain suffered by the patients and the clinical observation. The non-specificity of the laboratory tests and the challenge in computed tomography (CT) scan in distinguishing when an ischemia is occurring lead to the risk of an unrecognized diagnosis, especially considering that an early onset of treatment is largely fundamental for better outcomes. Also, the choice between the surgical approach and the anticoagulation may be a pitfall for the clinicians. The treatment choice requires a multidisciplinary approach. Emergency exploration by laparoscopy allows clinicians to reach the correct diagnosis and the real-time assessment of the intestinal infarction extension, playing a double diagnostic and therapeutic role in those doubtful and tricky cases. Here, a 77-year-old male with a completely asymptomatic bowel ischemia secondary to a Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis was submitted to a laparoscopic approach.