Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology
Original Article

Idiopathic Mesenteric Phlebosclerosis: A Single-Institute Experience in Taiwan

1.

China Medical University Faculty of Medicine, Taichung, Taiwan

2.

Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Digestive Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

3.

Taiwan Association for the Study of Small Intestinal Diseases (TASSID), Touyuan, Taiwan

4.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asia University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

Turk J Gastroenterol 2023; 34: 483-489
DOI: 10.5152/tjg.2023.22335
Read: 1257 Downloads: 483 Published: 01 May 2023

Background: Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis is a rare condition with unclear pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features, diagnostic modalities, treatments, and outcomes of idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis patients in Taiwan.

Methods: Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis patients diagnosed by the typical characteristic of tree-like mesenteric venous calcifications on plain abdominal radiography or computed tomography between January 1992 and July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Totally, 36 idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis patients were enrolled (50% females; mean age, 61.6 years). Among the included patients, 26 (72.2%) and 10 (27.7%) were symptomatic and asymptomatic, respectively. Abdominal pain (61.1%) accounted for the majority of all symptoms, followed by fever, diarrhea, and bloody stools. Our results showed that 83.3% of patients had at least 1 risk factor, whereas 16.6% of patients had none. Moreover, among the included patients, 36.1%, 44.4%, 50.0%, 38.8%, and 8.3% had cardiovascular disease, chronic renal disease, cancer, chronic liver disease, and diabetes mellitus, respectively. Our findings showed 94.4% of patients were diagnosed via abdominal computed tomography and plain abdominal radiography, whereas 5.6% of patients were diagnosed via plain abdominal radiography. The ascending colon was the most commonly involved site (100%). Our findings showed that 91.6% of patients experienced good recovery after conservative treatment, except for the 3 who died of sepsis and respiratory failure. By contrast, 8.3% of idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis patients underwent colectomy. The average follow-up duration was 62.5 months.

Conclusions: Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis remains a rare disease in Taiwan. Plain abdominal radiography and computed tomography can be utilized for establishing a definite diagnosis. Conservative treatment is usually adequate for most patients, with surgical treatment only indicated for severe cases.

Cite this article as: Chou J, Chang C, Wu Y, Chang K, Cheng K, Huang P. Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis: A single-institute experience in taiwan. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2023;34(5):483-489.

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