Logo American Journal of Case Reports

Call: 1.631.629.4328
Mon-Fri 10 am - 2 pm EST

Contact Us

Logo American Journal of Case Reports Logo American Journal of Case Reports Logo American Journal of Case Reports

27 January 2015 : Case report  Singapore

Congenital Incomplete Fusion of Superior Mesenteric Artery Mimicking Dissection

Mistake in diagnosis, Congenital defects / diseases, Educational Purpose (only if useful for a systematic review or synthesis)

Vasu Keshav SharmaABDEF, Martin Weng Chin H'ngADEF

DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.892527

Am J Case Rep 2015; 16:41-44

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Both spontaneous SMA dissection and anatomical variants of GIT vasculature are well known entities. We present a case initially diagnosed as an SMA dissection on CT, but upon detailed review of the imaging findings was considered to be incompletely fused ventral segmental arteries – a rare anatomic variant not well described before. This finding is clinically significant, as it can mimic a vascular dissection and such a wrong diagnosis will lead to unnecessary investigation and intervention.

CASE REPORT: A 62-year-old male patient presented with abdominal pain of uncertain etiology. The initial CT revealed an abnormal appearance of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) which was diagnosed as SMA dissection. However, the appearance of this ‘dissection’ was unusual and there was a mismatch between the clinical presentation and radiological findings. The scan was reviewed and a 3D reconstruction of the abdominal aortal and visceral arteries was performed. The abnormal appearance of the SMA was deemed to be from a congenital anatomical variant. A review of the embryological origin of gut vasculature provides a likely explanation for this appearance.

CONCLUSIONS: Ours is an unusual case of a developmental variant that has not been well described hitherto. Attention to the ancillary radiological signs and understanding the embryological origin of the abdominal vasculature is important to distinguish such variants from pathology.

Keywords: Aneurysm, Dissecting - diagnosis, Diagnosis, Differential, Mesenteric Artery, Superior - radiography, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Vascular Malformations - diagnosis

Add Comment 0 Comments

In Press

Case report  Italy

Optimizing Surgical Techniques for Anal Canal Duplications in 2 Pediatric Patients

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.945747  

Case report  China

A 73-Year-Old Man Presenting with Shoulder Muscle Pain and a Diagnosis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.945539  

Case report  China

Diagnostic Challenges in Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Case Study of Typical Clinical Presentation ...

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.945795  

Case report  China

Minimally Invasive Management of Infantile Dacryocystitis with Lacrimal Abscess: A Case Report

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.946588  

Most Viewed Current Articles

21 Jun 2024 : Case report  China (mainland) 88,518

Intracranial Parasitic Fetus in a Living Infant: A Case Study with Surgical Intervention and Prognosis Anal...

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.944371

Am J Case Rep 2024; 25:e944371

0:00

07 Mar 2024 : Case report  USA 50,005

Neurocysticercosis Presenting as Migraine in the United States

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.943133

Am J Case Rep 2024; 25:e943133

0:00

20 Nov 2023 : Case report  Saudi Arabia 25,154

Azithromycin Treatment for Acne Vulgaris: A Case Report on the Risk of Clostridioides difficile Infection

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.941424

Am J Case Rep 2023; 24:e941424

0:00

18 Feb 2024 : Case report  Japan 22,640

A Case of Thoracic Empyema Caused by Actinomyces naeslundii

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.943030

Am J Case Rep 2024; 25:e943030

0:00

Your Privacy

We use cookies to ensure the functionality of our website, to personalize content and advertising, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. If you allow us to do so, we also inform our social media, advertising and analysis partners about your use of our website, You can decise for yourself which categories you you want to deny or allow. Please note that based on your settings not all functionalities of the site are available. View our privacy policy.

American Journal of Case Reports eISSN: 1941-5923
American Journal of Case Reports eISSN: 1941-5923