Celiac artery compression syndrome: a radiological finding without clinical symptoms?

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to determine the incidence of celiac artery compression (CAC) based on computed tomography (CT) scan and correlate the findings to the clinical presentation of patients presenting for CT scan in a hospital. Abdominal CT scans of patients were reviewed between September 2010 and November 2010. CAC was diagnosed if the celiac axis appeared to have a hook or U-shaped appearance with stenosis. The medical records of the patients were reviewed for gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea), as well as food fear and weight loss. Patients with CAC had lower incidence of symptoms compared with those without CAC (42.1 versus 65.3%, P = 0.042). A total of 450 patients were evaluated. In the end, 284 had both complete medical records and CT scans. The mean age for all patients was 51.3 ± 1.2 years. There were 124 men (42.6%) and 160 (57.4%) women. Nineteen (6.7%) patients had radiological evidence of CAC. CAC is not an uncommon CT finding in patients presenting for CT scan.

Keywords: CTA; celiac artery; celiac artery compression syndrome; extrinsic compression.