Mini-invasive treatment of median arcuate ligament syndrome, a case report

Author Info

Angelica Ganss Angelo Marzullo Irene Spilimbergo Marcodomenico Mazza Mariangela Ruperto Marzia Riccardo Maurizio Balduino Maurizio De Luca Nicola Passuello

Corresponding Author

Marcodomenico Mazza
Department of General Surgery, S. Giacomo Hospital, Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso), Italy

A B S T R A C T

Introduction: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), also known as Dunbar syndrome or celiac artery compression syndrome, is a rare disorder due to external compression of the celiac trunk (CT) by the median arcuate ligament (MAL). The diagnosis is difficult and often one of exclusion, because of its nonspecific symptoms that overlap with other forms of chronic intestinal ischemia. Laparoscopic approach is considered to be an optimal therapeutic option. Material and Surgical Techniques: We describe the case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with a 4 years-long clinical history of postprandial abdominal pain, occasional vomiting and severe weight loss in the last year. An abdominal CT scan demonstrated an external compression of the CT and the patient underwent laparoscopic decompression by division of the MAL. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day. Discussion: Despite being MALS a rare disease, it must be kept in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. Diagnosis is difficult and often requires 2nd level investigations. Laparoscopy can be useful both as a diagnostic and curative approach. The laparoscopic division of the MAL is a feasible and safe procedure, leading to an improved quality of life.

Article Info

Article Type

Case Report

Publication history

Received: Sat 09, Mar 2019
Accepted: Thu 25, Apr 2019
Published: Thu 23, May 2019

Copyright

© 2023 Marcodomenico Mazza. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.SCR.2019.02.012