Mesenteric ischemia and small bowel infarction can develop as a consequence of mesenteric artery embolization. Patients with atherosclerosis who are undergoing cardiac catheterization are at risk for embolic events triggered by dislodgement of plaque fragments within the aortic lumen by the catheters themselves. These patients often have intense pain without peritoneal signs, because the peritoneum is not inflamed. Diverticulitis, NSAID enteropathy, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer are all unlikely causes of these findings post-catheterization.
