Acute superior
mesenteric venous thrombosis (ASMVT) is an intractable disease with poor prognosis.
Argatroban, a
direct thrombin inhibitor, may be a novel
anticoagulant method in the
therapy of ASMVT. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of early
argatroban therapy in ASMVT patients. The current retrospective study reviewed a consecutive series of ASMVT patients receiving early
argatroban therapy during hospitalization between March 2013 and April 2014, with 18 ASMVT patients included in the study. Of these, 16 patients without hepatic dysfunction underwent
anticoagulant therapy with
argatroban with a mean dose of 1.57±0.34 µg/kg/min and a mean duration of 12.2±3.7 days, while their activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was elevated to 1.95±0.26 times the baseline value. In addition, 2 hepatic dysfunction patients received
therapy with a dose of 0.41 µg/kg/min and 0.46 µg/kg/min, and with aPTT of 1.68 and 1.62 times the baseline value, respectively. Overall, 94% (n=17) of the patients presented clinical improvement, while 88% (n=16) of patients presented partially or completely dissolved
thrombus in contrast-enhanced computed tomography images. The incidence of surgery and bowel resection was 6% (excluding 1 case with intestinal
necrosis detected on admission). Furthermore, 11% (n=2) of patients experienced a
bleeding episode, however no major
bleeding or mortality occurred during hospitalization. During the follow-up, the mortality and the recurrence rate were 6% and 11%, respectively. In conclusion, early initiation of
argatroban treatment may be an effective and safe
therapy in ASMVT, manifesting efficient resolution of the
thrombus, rapid improvement of symptoms, low incidence of bowel resection and
bleeding complication, and low mortality rate.