ABSTRACT
Unfortunately, contemporary population-based studies on the epidemiology of acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) are lacking owing to low autopsy rates and reporting of only patients who have surgery. e overall incidence of AMI between 1970 and 1982 in the city of Malmö, Sweden, diagnosed at either autopsy or operation, was 12.9 per 100,000 person-years. e autopsy rate in this population was 87%. Among 402 patients, 270 (67.2%) had thromboembolic SMA occlusion, 63 (15.7%) mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT), 62 (15.4%) NOMI and 7 (1.7%) had indeterminate aetiology.1 e embolus to thrombus ratio was 1.4:1 among the 213 patients with acute SMA occlusion diagnosed at autopsy.2 Acute SMA occlusion was more common than ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
(AAA).1 e incidence of chronic mesenteric ischaemia (CMI) is unknown and dependent on diagnostic activity.
