The following symptoms and complaints may indicate mesenteric infarction (bowel infarction):
Symptoms of acute arterial mesenteric ischemia (arterial occlusive); course often in three phases:
- Initial stage with sudden onset of crampy abdominal pain (very severe abdominal pain); distended abdomen, soft and doughy
- Painless or asymptomatic interval of circa 6-12 hours (due toZugrundegehen the intramural (“located in the organ wall”) pain receptors) with soft abdomen (“lazy peace”).
- After 12- 48 hours: acute abdomen with transit peritonitis (peritonitis caused by bacteria as a result of bacterial migration through the intestinal wall), paralytic ileus (intestinal obstruction); possibly bloody stool.
Symptoms of arterial non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOD).
- Increasing abdominal pain
In the intubated patient:
- Abdominal distension (distended abdomen).
Symptoms of venous mesenteric ischemia
- Nonspecific abdominal pain for several days
Other indications
- Arterial occlusive disease of the visceral vessels/arteries for the viscera in the abdomen (chronic occlusive disease of the intestinal arteries, chronic visceral artery occlusion) is manifested by ischemic postprandial pain (pain after eating due to reduced blood flow to the intestine). These are called angina abdominalis (pain due to impaired blood flow to the intestine).
