Mesenteric vein thrombosis due to factor V Leiden gene mutation.

Abstract

Mesenteric venous thrombosis is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain that may be the result of coagulation abnormalities. Four consecutive patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis underwent haematological evaluation. All four had activated protein C resistance resulting from a single mutation in the gene coding for coagulation factor V. Three had surgery; in one patient the diagnosis was made by ultrasonography. One of the patients who had surgery died but the other three survived and were treated with long-term anticoagulation. Activated protein C resistance may be an important pathogenetic factor in primary mesen-teric vein thrombosis.