[Intra-arterial fibrinolysis of superior mesenteric artery embolism].

Intra arterial fibrinolysis for acute mesenteric embolism. Acute mesenteric ischemia has a poor prognosis because the diagnosis is often too late (greater than 12 h), leading to a difficult surgery in old patients. The lesions of the bowel don't always allow a single operative embolectomy but often need a resection when there is a long time interval between onset of symptoms and therapy. We report a case of acute embolism in the superior mesenteric artery with the clot located in its terminal part. A rapid diagnosis was made by arteriography and intra-arterial fibrinolysis was attempted with success permitting the complete cure of the affection, without sequellae. This treatment is only likely to be successful if it is carried out within 10-12 hours of the onset of clinical signs and symptoms.