ABSTRACT
Acute superior mesenteric artery embolism(MAE) is uncommon in clinical, but is a severe surgical abdomen. Owing to its unfamiliarity, clinicians often made misdiagnosis. This report summarized the experience in diagnosis and surgical therapy of 25 cases of acute superior mesenteric artery embolism. The results suggested that patients with a history of heart and peripheral arterial obstructive disease encountering severe abdominal pain and hemorrhage of digestive tract, which could not be relieved by narcotics, should be considered as early signs of acute superior mesenteric artery embolism. Twenty-three were operated out of the 25 cases, among tham, 5 cases were subjected to resection of partial small intestine after removal of the embolus, 18 cases received bowel resection. In the 23 cases of MAE, 10 were cured and 13 died, the mortality in perioperative period was 57%. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the key to improve the therapeutic effects of AME.