Acute bowel ischemia in the absence of radiological findings: A case for endoscopy.
Patricia Mester, Arne Kandulski, Florian Weber et al.
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Case in brief
A 73-year-old man presented in septic shock with elevated inflammatory markers and inconclusive clinical and radiological findings for bowel ischemia. Endoscopy was performed, revealing transmural bowel ischemia. Despite the patient's eventual death due to comorbidities, this case underscores the potential of endoscopy as a diagnostic tool in uncertain cases of intestinal ischemia.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Endoscopy can be a valuable diagnostic tool for intestinal ischemia, particularly when clinical and radiological assessments are inconclusive.
Why it matters
This case highlights the need to consider endoscopy in the diagnostic algorithm for suspected mesenteric ischemia, potentially reducing unnecessary laparotomies.