Superior mesenteric artery syndrome in a young woman

Description

Vascular structures in the abdomen and pelvis can be compressed by anatomical structures or cause the compression of adjacent hollow viscera. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) consists of obstruction of the third portion of the duodenum due to compression between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the aorta.1 The SMA typically arises at the L1–L2 level with an anterior and inferior course, and the third portion of the duodenum crosses between the aorta and the SMA at L3. The normal aorto-mesenteric angle (AMA) and aorto-mesenteric distance (AMD) are considered to be 28°–65° and 10–34 mm,23 respectively. Our images demonstrate the classic findings of SMAS in a woman aged 31 years experiencing rapid weight loss with epigastric pain and fullness, showing the CT duodenal obstruction with an abrupt cut-off in the third portion (figure 1), abnormally low origin of the...

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