Clinical characteristics of idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze and summarize the clinical manifestations, imaging and colonoscopy characteristics, treatment and prognosis of idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis(IMP), so as to raise clinicians' awareness of this rare disease.Methods:One case of IMP admitted into the Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Hospital, was reported.The patient was admitted primarily due to abdominal pain, distension, and obstructed defecation and flatulence for 3 months, and recurrent vomiting for 2 days.Combining the patient's medical history, symptoms, physical signs, imaging and colonoscopy results, IMP was suspected to be the most likely cause for incomplete intestinal obstruction in this case.The literatures on IMP published before April 2021, including case reports, reviews and articles, were collected and analyzed.Based upon information mentioned above, the epidemiological characteristics, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of IMP were systematically reviewed.Results:A total of 206 cases of idiopathic mesenteric vein sclerosing enteritis had been reported up to April 2021 in the literature, with a male to female ratio of about 2.75∶1.Age was clearly mentioned in 111 case reports, with a median age of 59 years and 36 patients(32.4%)≥65 years old.Common clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, distension, diarrhea, hematochezia, nausea and vomiting, obstructed defecation and flatulence, among others.The lesion is usually at the right side of the colon, including the cecum, ascending colon and transverse colon, with the ascending colon as the most commonly involved site.Imaging characteristics include linear, serrated or tortuous calcification of vessels inside the involved colon segments and adjacent mesenterium, edema and thickening of the intestinal wall, and reactive hyperplasia of lymph nodes, etc.Endoscopic features include edema and thickening of the intestinal wall, discoloration of the mucosa, and tortuous and dilated submucosal vessels.Complications include intestinal obstruction, perforation and necrosis.In most cases, symptoms subside after patients stop taking herbal medicines and go through conservative treatment for microcirculation improvement, anti-inflammation, anti-coagulation, anti-infection, etc.Overall, the prognosis of IMP is satisfactory.Conclusions:IMP is a type of non-obstructive, non-thrombotic and non-inflammatory mesenteric phlebosclerosis that causes intestinal ischemia.The pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear.Combination of characteristic clinical manifestations, imaging especially CT findings, endoscopic and histopathological examinations will help the diagnosis of IMP.