Intestinal malabsorption following temporary occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery

Malabsorption syndrome associated with carcinoma of the bronchus

“…Occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery may be followed by steatorrhoea and other evidence of malabsorption for a number of months (Joske, Shamma'a, and Drummey, 1958). The cause of vascular occlusion in carcinoma of the bronchus could be either embolism from non-bacterial verrucal endocarditis or the hypercoagulable state that exists in carcinoma.…”

Steatorrhoea due to Dissecting Aneurysm of the Superior Mesenteric Artery

“…Mlalabsorption due to intestinal ischaemia may possibly be caused by abnormalities of lymph flow (De Langen, 1953) or mucosal damage (Joske et al, 1958;Shaw and Maynard, 1958). Protein-losiing gastroenteropathy (Davidson et al, 1961) and fat malabsorption (Vaughan Jones, 1961) are known to occur in chronic congestive heart failure, which may also cause steatorrhoea due to pancreatic insufficiency (MIasoni and Pelligrini, 1953 ;Nicol, 1961), and lymphatic (lacteal) dilatation has been demonstrated in idiopathic hypoproteinaemia (Gordon et al, 1959).…”

“…A bruit may be audible over the narrowed vessel, a well-recognized occasional finding in stenosis of other arteries. Radiological investigation of the small bowel may or may not be helpful (Dunphy, 1936;Shaw and Maynard, 1958;Joske et al, 1958). The diagnosis may be confirmed by aortography and laparotomy and curative surgery attempted (Joske et al, 1958;Shaw and Maynard, 1958).…”

“…Failure of the blood supply to the small intestine as a result of thrombosis or embolism of the superior mesenteric artery has been described as an uncommon cause of steatorrhoea in four cases (Hawkins, 1957;Joske et al, 1958;Shaw and Maynard, 1958). The following additional case presented difficulty in diagnosis.…”

Folic acid malabsorption in cardiac failure.

“…It has been suggested that local anoxia, due to portal venous congestion, may be an important factor (Langen, 1953). There have been several case reports of atherosclerotic mesenteric vascular occlusion producing malabsorption of fat, carbohydrate, and vitamin B12 (Shaw and Maynard, 1958;Joske, Shamma'a and Drummey, 1958) and small intestinal ischaemia has been described in patients with marked cardiac failure who have no mesenteric vascular lesion (Ende, 1958). There is no evidence of generalized villous atrophy in mesenteric vascular insufficiency but it is possible that prolonged venous congestion may produce a functional defect in the small intestinal mucosa without detectable structural abnormality.…”