Color Doppler sonographic diagnosis of dissecting aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery.

We report a case of dissecting aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) diagnosed on gray-scale and color Doppler sonography and confirmed on angiography. Spontaneous dissection of the SMA is rare, and there are few reported cases of the color Doppler sonographic findings. Gray-scale sonography revealed an aneurysmal dilatation of the SMA 3-4 cm from the SMA's origin, with an echogenic linear membrane (an intimal flap) within the aneurysm. Color Doppler sonography showed color flow within the aneurysm and showed that the intimal flap separated the aneurysm into 2 lumina. Spectral analysis revealed anterograde flow in the anterior (ie, true) lumen and retrograde flow in the posterior (ie, false) lumen. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.