VASCULAR (GI) Flashcards
What is ischaemic colitis?
Ischaemia of the colon i.e. reduced blood flow to insufficient levels
What is mesenteric ischaemia?
Ischaemia affecting the small intestines - i.e. reduced blood flow to insufficient levels
What are the 2 broad categories of causes of colonic ischaemia?
Occlusive - thrombosis or embolus
Non-occlusive - vasoconstriction and hypoperfusion (more common)
Whats the most common form of intestinal ischameia?
Ischaemic colitis
Whats the blood supply to the duodenum?
The proximal segment of the duodenum is supplied by the gastroduodenal artery and its branches which include the duodenal branches and the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery.
The distal segment of the duodenum is supplied by the anterior and posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries (branches of SMA).
Whats the blood supply to the jejunum and ileum?
SMA - 15-18 of its branches which form anastomoses loops called arterial arcades with the terminal vasa recta
Whats the blood supply to the ascending colon?
Ileocolic and right colic arteries (branches of SMA)
Whats the blood supply to the transverse colon?
Right colic artery from SMA
Middle colic artery from SMA
Left colic artery from IMA
Whats the blood supply to the descending colon?
Left colic artery (IMA)
Whats the blood supply to the sigmoid colon?
Sigmoid arteries (branches of IMA)
What are the branches of the SMA which supply the colon?
Ileocolic artery
Right colic artery
Middle colic artery
What are the branches of the ileocolic artery?
Inferior and superior branch
Inferior branch divides into anterior and posterior faecal arteries, appendiceal artery and ileal branch
Superior branch passes upwards and anastomoses with the right colic artery
What are the branches of the right colic artery?
Ascending branch and descending branch
Ascending branch anastomoses with middle colic artery
Descending branch anastomoses with superior branch of ileocolic artery
What are the branches of the middle colic artery?
Left and right branch
Left branch anastomoses with left colic artery at the splenic flexure
Right branch anastomoses with right colic artery
(Middle branch may be present!)
What are the branches of the IMA?
Left colic artery
Sigmoid artery
Superior rectal artery
What are the branches of the left colic artery?
Ascending and descending branches
Ascending branch anastomoses with branches of the middle colic artery
Descending branches meet sigmoid arteries below
How many sigmoid arteries are there?
Variable number - usually 2-5
What do the sigmoid arteries supply?
Distal descending colon and sigmoid colon
What does the superior rectal artery supply?
Upper 2/3rds of the rectum
Where do middle and inferior rectal arteries arise from?
Middle - internal iliac artery
Inferior rectal arteries are a continuation of the internal pudendal arteries
What is the marginal artery of Drummond?
An anatomically variable blood vessel
The SMA and IMA contribute to the formation of the marginal artery of Drummond, a vessel that runs along the inner margin of the colon providing branches to the bowel wall.
It receives contributions from the ileocolic, right, middle and left colic arteries
What is non-occlusive colonic ischaemia?
characterised by reduced perfusion to the colon not explained by occlusive lesions. It is the most common cause of colonic ischaemia though is normally transient. If prolonged it can result in bowel wall necrosis.
Where does non-occlusive colonic ischaemia tend to affect and why?
It most commonly affects watershed regions where collateral blood supply is poor - the splenic flexure and rectosigmoid junction.
What are the risk factors for non-occlusive colonic ischaemia?
Heart failure (low output state)
Septic shock
Vasopressors (e.g. noradrenaline, cause vasoconstriction)
Recent CABG
Renal impairment
Peripheral vascular disease
Cocaine use
What is occlusive colonic ischaemia?
characterised by physical impedance of the arterial supply or venous drainage. It occurs relatively rarely in isolation to the colon, with the small intestines commonly also affected.
Arterial occlusion - secondary to thrombosis or embolism
Venous thrombosis
What are the arterial types of occlusive colonic ischaemia?
Mesenteric arterial embolism (50% of all cases)
Mesenteric arterial thrombosis (25% of all cases)
Who does mesenteric arterial embolism causing colonic ischaemia typically affect?
Elderly patients with AF
Other risk factors for emboli disease - infective endocarditis, arrhythmias, left ventricular aneurysm, proximal atherosclerotic disease, prosthetic heart valves
(Think cardiac causes!)
Who does mesenteric arterial thrombosis typically occur in?
Vasculopaths with other cardiovascular disease
Other risk factors - PVD, advancing age, iatrogenic trauma e.g. during surgery, heart failure
(Cause is atherosclerosis)
How does a mesenteric arterial embolism present?
Severe acute left sided abdominal pain
How does mesenteric arterial thrombosis causing colonic ischaemia typically present?
They may have a background of chronic mesenteric ischaemia as characterised by abdominal pain following food and weight loss
Pain is moderate/severe, diffuse and constant
How can thrombosis in mesenteric veins cause colonic ischaemia?
Venous thrombosis impedes flow and causes stagnation leading to bowel wall oedema and eventual impairment of arterial supply
When it occurs it typically affects the superior mesenteric vein drainage affecting the small intestines and proximal colon. It may occur for a number of reasons including local inflammatory processes (e.g. pancreatitis) and thrombophilia’s.
Other than thrombi and emboli, what else can cause colonic ischaemia?
Bowel obstruction - most commonly volvulus
Hypovolaemic shock
Cardio genie shock
What are the clinical features of acute mesenteric ischameia?
Generalised, acute abdominal pain out of proportion to clinical findings - diffuse and constant
Associated nausea and vomiting in 75% of cases
Non-specific tenderness only on examination
Globalised peritonism once bowel perforated
Pyrexia/fever
Tachycardia
Haemodynamic instability
Signs of shock
May have AF or murmurs on examination - suggest underlying cause as potential embolic sources
What investigations are done for acute mesenteric ischaemia?
Routine bloods (FBC, renal function, LFTs, CRP, clotting screen, BG, group and save, VGB or ABG) - show inflammatory response, raised lactate and amylase and metabolic acidosis
CT with IV contrast
Colonoscopy
What can be seen on CT for acute mesenteric ischaemia?
Oedematous bowel
Later - loss of bowel wall enhancement and then pneumatosis