ABSTRACT
HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 23-year-old woman with a 5-year history of ulcerative colitis was admitted to our hospital because of bloody diarrhea. Two years previously she had undergone a hemicolectomy for a right colonic stricture. A recurrence of inflammatory bowel disease was suspected and treatment with prednisolone begun. The symptoms improved gradually, but 7 days later she complained of lower abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed a soft abdomen, but bowel sounds were reduced. INVESTIGATIONS: The abdominal X-ray was unremarkable, but ultrasonography revealed moderate ascites and no blood flow in the portal vein on Doppler examination. The spleen was slightly enlarged. Contrast-enhanced abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed immediately, revealing thrombosis of the portal and mesenteric veins. TREATMENT AND COURSE: As there was no suggestion of intestinal necrosis, laparatomy was not considered necessary. Intravenous thrombolytic treatment with urokinase was given continuously (bolus of 250,000 units, followed by 200,000 units per hour), in order to lower the fibrinogen level to 100 - 150 mg/dl, together with unfractionated heparin, maintaining the activated partial thromboplastin time between 60 and 85 seconds. The thrombolytic treatment had to be stopped several times because of bloody diarrhea, but no transfusion was necessary. Two days after the start of thrombolytic treatment the abdominal pain and ascites ceased. Doppler sonography now demonstrated hepatopetal flow in the previously occluded portal vein. 4 days later, MRI revealed that the thrombus in the portal vein had dissolved and the portal vein was fully patent. The mesenteric vein was partially perfused, a residual thrombus extending into the portal vein. Tests for thrombophilia were negative. The thrombolytic therapy was stopped after 112 hours and the patient was treated with oral anticoagulation for 6 months. The patient recovered completely, with no evidence of portal hypertension during the following 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombolysis with urokinase, guided by the level of fibrinogen, may be an alternative, semi-invasive treatment option in acute thrombosis of the portal and mesenteric veins.
