[Aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery. Literature review and a clinical case report].

Aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms of visceral arteries are extremely rare and difficult-to-diagnose nosological entities, since patients are often asymptomatic or present non-specific complaints of abdominal discomfort. In the natural course of the disease, the risk of aneurysmal rupture amounts to 50%, with the mortality rate varying from 30 to 90%. The most frequently encountered are aneurysms of the splenic artery (from 60 to 70%), hepatic artery (about 20%), aneurysms of celiac trunk and mesenteric arteries (approximately 10%). According to various data, the prevalence of aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery does not exceed 3.2-8% in the structure of aneurysmatic lesions of visceral arteries. The incidence of superior mesenteric artery aneurysms is 1 per 12,000-19,000 autopsies. Given the paucity of review data, ambiguity of recommendations, and frequent revision of the clinical experience, the patients with superior mesenteric artery aneurysms present difficulty in planning surgical policy and management. This article contains a review of the literature dedicated to the problem of surgical treatment of patients with aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery, covering historical aspects, approaches to diagnosis, and principles of treatment. This is followed by describing a clinical case report regarding surgical treatment of a patient with a large aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery, presumably of a mycotic origin.