Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury

Mesenteric ischemia (MI) is a condition characterized by compromised intestinal perfusion, leading to varied patterns of bowel hypoxia that requires prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention. Here, we report a case in which indocyanine green (ICG) was utilized to evaluate intestinal blood flow in a...

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Main Authors: Nova Szoka, Mathew Kahn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Surgery
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5459774
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author Nova Szoka
Mathew Kahn
author_facet Nova Szoka
Mathew Kahn
author_sort Nova Szoka
collection DOAJ
description Mesenteric ischemia (MI) is a condition characterized by compromised intestinal perfusion, leading to varied patterns of bowel hypoxia that requires prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention. Here, we report a case in which indocyanine green (ICG) was utilized to evaluate intestinal blood flow in a patient with acute-on-chronic MI. A 65-year-old underweight female presented with abdominal pain out of proportion to exam and was found to have diffuse aortic atherosclerotic disease with chronic occlusion of both superior and inferior mesenteric arteries with distal reconstitution. After multidisciplinary evaluation, elective treatment with vascular surgery was planned; however, on day three of her hospitalization, the patient’s abdominal pain acutely worsened. She was taken to the OR for exploratory laparotomy. Under white light, the small bowel from the ligament of Treitz (LOT) to the terminal ileum and the large bowel from the cecum to the splenic flexure appeared ischemic with patchy areas of necrosis. Fluorescence angiography was then performed; injection of indocyanine green (ICG) dye and imaging with the SPY-PHI near-infrared camera system demonstrated appropriate blood flow into the bowel mesentery, with complete absence of flow into the bowel mucosal surface from the LOT to the splenic flexure, confirming irreversible bowel necrosis. Introduction of ICG intraoperatively decreased the uncertainty associated with white light assessment of bowel viability, leading to a definitive intraoperative diagnosis and clear plan of care. The use of fluorescence guidance to diagnose fulminant small and large bowel necrosis prevented the surgical team from having to perform multiple takebacks to the operating room in the setting of a nonsurvivable injury. Had the surgical team relied on the white light appearance of the bowel, they would not have been able to diagnose the true extent of bowel demise. The patient was placed on comfort care for this devastating nonsurvivable injury.
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spelling doaj-art-e13787a27d274670b0bf7a125dce71992025-08-20T03:25:59ZengWileyCase Reports in Surgery2090-69192022-01-01202210.1155/2022/5459774Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable InjuryNova Szoka0Mathew Kahn1Department of SurgeryWest Virginia University School of MedicineMesenteric ischemia (MI) is a condition characterized by compromised intestinal perfusion, leading to varied patterns of bowel hypoxia that requires prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention. Here, we report a case in which indocyanine green (ICG) was utilized to evaluate intestinal blood flow in a patient with acute-on-chronic MI. A 65-year-old underweight female presented with abdominal pain out of proportion to exam and was found to have diffuse aortic atherosclerotic disease with chronic occlusion of both superior and inferior mesenteric arteries with distal reconstitution. After multidisciplinary evaluation, elective treatment with vascular surgery was planned; however, on day three of her hospitalization, the patient’s abdominal pain acutely worsened. She was taken to the OR for exploratory laparotomy. Under white light, the small bowel from the ligament of Treitz (LOT) to the terminal ileum and the large bowel from the cecum to the splenic flexure appeared ischemic with patchy areas of necrosis. Fluorescence angiography was then performed; injection of indocyanine green (ICG) dye and imaging with the SPY-PHI near-infrared camera system demonstrated appropriate blood flow into the bowel mesentery, with complete absence of flow into the bowel mucosal surface from the LOT to the splenic flexure, confirming irreversible bowel necrosis. Introduction of ICG intraoperatively decreased the uncertainty associated with white light assessment of bowel viability, leading to a definitive intraoperative diagnosis and clear plan of care. The use of fluorescence guidance to diagnose fulminant small and large bowel necrosis prevented the surgical team from having to perform multiple takebacks to the operating room in the setting of a nonsurvivable injury. Had the surgical team relied on the white light appearance of the bowel, they would not have been able to diagnose the true extent of bowel demise. The patient was placed on comfort care for this devastating nonsurvivable injury.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5459774
spellingShingle Nova Szoka
Mathew Kahn
Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
Case Reports in Surgery
title Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
title_full Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
title_fullStr Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
title_full_unstemmed Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
title_short Acute-On-Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: The Use of Fluorescence Guidance to Diagnose a Nonsurvivable Injury
title_sort acute on chronic mesenteric ischemia the use of fluorescence guidance to diagnose a nonsurvivable injury
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5459774
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