Mesenteric venous thrombosis and oral contraceptives.

A case of a 46-year-old white female admitted with a preoperative diagnosis of appendicitis was found to have a 30 cm portion of the ileum infarcted at operation. Clots were present in mesenteric veins. The patient had a recurrenc of infarction and another 30 cm segment of ileum was removed later that day. Th patient had been taking norethindrone with mestranol for 6 years. 17 cases of mesenteric venous thrombosis have been reported in young women taking oral contraceptives. An association is suggested.