MESENTERIC VEIN-THROMBOSIS - A RARE CAUSE OF ABDOMINAL-PAIN IN CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS - 2 CASE-REPORTS

Mesenteric vein thrombosis is a rare disorder which can develop rapidl y with intestinal infarction or subacutely with abdominal pain due to intestinal ischemia. Despite the availability of modern diagnostic too ls, which allow an early diagnosis in. most cases, the mortality from this disease has not significantly diminished over the years. The prob lem is that the syndrome is rare and unusual and the clinical presenta tion is usually vague or confusing. Particularly in cirrhotic patients , this diagnosis requires the exclusion of several other complications of liver disease, like spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, tense ascit es or portal thrombosis. Here, we report the occurrence of acute mesen teric vein thrombosis in. two patients with liver cirrhosis. Severe su bcontinuous abdominal pain out of proportion to the physical findings and abdominal distension were the major symptoms in both patients. Mag netic resonance imaging in one case and ultrasound scan. with color Do ppler followed by computed tomography in the other patient confirmed t he diagnosis and enabled an appropriate early therapy to be undertaken .