Imagerie des affections ischémiques aiguës du tube digestif de l'adulte

Acute intestinal ischemia is an unusual acute abdominal condition, with a poor prognosis. The liberal use of sonography (US) and CT helps to reduce the bad outcome of this disease. In the both techniques, gut wall changes can be detected as well as main vascular trunks lesions. Gut wall changes include adynamic ileus, wall thickening, absence of blood flow into the thickened intestinal wall. Pneumatosis and portal venous gas are sometimes present, and can be detected with US and CT. Limited or extended thrombosis of the splanchnic vessels (veins and arteries) are visualized, better with CT than with US. In cases of ischemic colitis, chronic stenoses, obstructions and collaterals of the splanchic arteries are observed.