Two Cases of Superior Mesenteric Artery Aneurysms

ABSTRACT

Aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are very rare disease entities. The etiology of a visceral aneurysm includes a bacterial aneurysm due to an infected thrombus from endocarditis (60%). The other causes are atherosclerosis, arterial endometrial necrosis, trauma, polyarteritis nodosum etc. Some aneurysms are diagnosed coincidently but most are discovered by the development of hypovolemic shock due to aneurysmal rupture. Approximately 30% of the patients are at risk of rupture and require surgical management. We report two cases of SMA aneurysms, a 44-year-old male patient who complained of abdominal and back pain and a 42-year-old female who developed a SMA aneurysm postoperatively after undergoing surgery for hemoperitoneum due to a traffic accident. The first patient was treated surgically and the latter was treated conservatively.