Inflammatory bowel disease and superior mesenteric artery thromboembolism

While patients with inflammatory bowel disease are known to be at increased risk of venous thromboembolism, the risk of arterial thrombosis is less well recognized. Here, we describe the case of a middle-aged female with a recent diagnosis of Crohn’s disease who presented to her local emergency department with acute abdominal pain. Subsequent investigations revealed a thrombus in the superior mesenteric artery resulting in multi-organ infarction requiring major intra-abdominal surgery and extensive resection of segments of small and large bowel.