The first case of mesenteric vascular occlusion was reported by Tiedeman.1 The disease was for a long time considered rare, but 214 cases were reported in 1904 by Jackson, Porter and Quinby.2 Another series of 366 cases was reported in an excellent monograph on the subject by Trotter in 1913.3 Other authors4 have reported smaller series of cases. The lesion in adults is no longer regarded as uncommon.
The disorder is unusual in childhood and infancy.5 Of the 308 patients in Trotter's series whose ages were noted, only 4 patients between the ages of 1 and 10 years could be found. The youngest of the 4 was 5 years old. Lagane6 reported a case in a 1 month old infant. Frank7 reported the condition in 3 children aged 8, 10 and 12 years, respectively. McClanahan8 found the lesion in a 4 month