Morphology and hemodynamics of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection: A review

Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD) is a rare vascular class disorder that is not associated with aortic dissections. True luminal narrowing of the superior mesenteric artery causes avascular necrosis of the small intestine and is life-threatening in severe cases. The patients had no specific clinical manifestations, and most cases were admitted to the hospital due to sudden abdominal pain. Treatment modalities for this disease include conservative treatment, endovascular repair and open surgery, the optimal management of which remains undetermined. Most of the current studies on SISMAD are based on imaging studies for morphological classification, and there is less literature on hemodynamic studies. Blood, as a pulsatile fluid, its physical parameters influence the generation and development of arterial dissection disease, and the vessel geometry in turn affects the blood flow so that hemodynamic parameters change. This review focuses on SISMAD based on clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic aspects.