Gut mayhem at sea: Acute mesenteric ischaemia in a sailor unmasking polyarteritis nodosa.
Isaac Ks Ng, Mark Il Lum, Wilson Gw Goh et al.
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Case in brief
A sailor presented with acute abdominal pain due to acute mesenteric ischaemia, which was found to be the initial manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa. Characteristic radiological findings indicated medium-vessel vasculitis. Following treatment with high-dose intravenous corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, the patient's symptoms improved, inflammatory markers normalized, and stable radiological findings were observed before discharge.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Acute mesenteric ischaemia can be an initial presentation of systemic vasculitis, such as polyarteritis nodosa, particularly in patients without significant cardiovascular risk factors.