Acute Mesenteric Ischemia: Evaluation, Management, and Interventions

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a dreaded, highly morbid pathology. Often this is due to acute occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. This can be from thrombus or embolism; however, AMI can also be the result of mesenteric venous thrombus or nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia. There have been many recent advances in diagnosis and treatment including endovascular therapies. While there is increasing data to support an endovascular first approach, with improved 30-day mortality rates and in-hospital mortality, many patients will still require surgical intervention at some point. This article will review AMI for the interventional radiologist including etiologies, diagnosis, and management.