Hemodynamic Effects on Acute Mesenteric Ischemia of Superior Mesenteric Artery

Abstract

This study evaluates the role of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) geometry and hemodynamic parameters in diagnosing acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) using patient-specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. SMA models reconstructed from CT scans of five AMI patients and five controls were analyzed to quantify aortomesenteric (AOM) angle and distance, while transient pulsatile CFD simulations provided wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index, relative residence time (RRT), endothelial cell activation potential, and energy loss values. Results showed that AMI patients exhibited larger mean AOM angles and distances than controls, and reduced angles/distances correlated with increased energy loss. At end systole, RRT values were significantly higher in the AMI group, indicating its potential as a key discriminative marker. These findings highlight the promise of a non-invasive computational approach to complement imaging techniques for improved AMI diagnosis. © 2025 IEEE.