Effectiveness of Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Fluorescence-Navigated Surgery for Superior Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis that Developed During Treatment for Intravascular Lymphoma: A Case Report

BACKGROUND Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (SMVT) is a relatively rare form of acute abdominal disease; less than 0.1% of laparotomy surgeries are performed for SMVT. In the presence of severe intestinal ischemia or necrosis caused by SMVT, immediate surgical intervention is required. Macroscopic diagnosis of intestinal viability is sometimes difficult; its over-resection may carry the risk of short bowel syndrome. A near-infrared fluorescence imaging system with indocyanine green (ICG) has recently been developed for intraoperative, real-time evaluation of intestinal perfusion. This is the first report on the use of ICG fluorescence imaging during surgery for intestinal ischemia caused by venous thrombosis. CASE REPORT A 70-year-old man presented with a general feeling of weariness. On examination, he was diagnosed with intravascular large B cell lymphoma. R-CHOP therapy was initiated. On day 3 of initial R-CHOP therapy, the patient experienced sudden severe abdominal pain while in the hospital. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed SMVT and loss of contrast effect in the small intestine. We diagnosed small bowel necrosis caused by SMVT, and exploratory laparotomy was performed, which revealed a continuous ischemia of 150 cm. Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging was utilized, and the color boundary was consistent with the ischemic area detected by visualization. The necrotic small intestine was excised and anastomosed. The patient was transferred to the hematology department on postoperative day 10 with no severe complications such as anastomotic leakage or re-thrombosis, and re-embolization was not observed 6 months later. CONCLUSIONS Venous thrombosis should be listed as a differential diagnosis when acute abdominal disease presents during chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma. ICG fluorescence imaging may be useful in the evaluation of intestinal blood flow for venous thrombosis.