SUPERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERIAL-OCCLUSION FROM A LEIOMYOMA

We report a solitary leiomyoma of the superior mesenteric artery resul ting in arterial occlusion and gangrenous bowel. On histologic evaluat ion the lesion extended into the vessel lumen off its stalk and showed immunostaining for smooth muscle antigen and desmin. Leiomyomas can a rise anywhere there is smooth muscle and occur most commonly in the ut erus followed by the skin and gastrointestinal tract. We could not ide ntify any previous case in the literature of a leiomyoma arising from within the wall of a mesenteric vessel.