Case report demonstrates early ultrasound detection of inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis in a patient with protein C deficiency, highlighting point-of-care imaging for rapid diagnosis.
Inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis is a rare but fatal cause of acute abdominal pain, often overlooked due to nonspecific symptoms. We report a 60‐year‐old woman presenting with fever, epigastric tenderness, and markedly elevated procalcitonin. Point‐of‐care ultrasound visualised the thrombus in the inferior mesenteric vein with Doppler‐confirmed flow cessation, later corroborated by contrast‐enhanced CT. Anticoagulation with low‐molecular‐weight heparin and broad‐spectrum antibiotics achieved rapid symptom resolution. Subsequent workup identified protein C deficiency as the underlying aetiology. This case underscores POCUS as a timely, accessible tool for early detection of this serious condition, enabling expedited treatment and improved outcomes.
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Lam et al. (2026) studied this question.
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