DSA findings of the mesenteric artery in active ulcerative colitis

Objective: To study DSA manifestations of the mesenteric artery in active ulcerative colitis. Methods A total of 52 patients (32 males and 20 females) with proved active ulcerative colitis, who were encountered during the period from Apr. 2012 to Nov. 2012 at the hospital, were enrolled in this study. DSA of superior mesenteric artery and inferior mesenteric artery was performed in all patients before mesenteric artery drug-infusion was carried out. The mesenteric vascular characteristics and vascular manifestations of the diseased colonic segment were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity of angiography for ulcerative colitis at different colonic segment were evaluated. Results: Angiography showed that abnormal vessels could be found in all the 52 patients, which mainly included thickened mesenteric arteries (n = 47, 90.4%), intestinal wall dark stain in capillary phase (n = 51, 98.1%), venous reflux concentration in venous phase (n = 49, 94.2%), tortuous and disordered straight arteries (n = 50, 96.2%) and tortuous marginal arteries (n = 8, 15.4%). Angiography carried higher sensitivity and relatively lower specificity for active ulcerative colitis. Conclusion: In patients with ulcerative colitis, abnormal vascular changes can be found in diseased colonic segments. DSA can easily detect these changes, thus providing useful reference for the diagnosis and treatment. (authors)