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Case Reports
. 2023 Aug 12;17(1):343.
doi: 10.1186/s13256-023-04061-2.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome in an 8-year-old boy: a case report

Ayah Aldagher  1 , Rodaina Almasri  2 , Jaber Mahmoud  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome in an 8-year-old boy: a case report

Ayah Aldagher et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS), also known as Wilkie's syndrome, is a rare disease that mainly presents as intestinal obstruction with a variable incidence ranging from 0.013 to 0.3% (Salehzadeh et al. in Case Rep Gastrointest Med, 2019, 10.1155/2019/3458601). In this syndrome, the third part of the duodenum, located between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, is wholly or partially obstructed (Mosalli et al. in J Pediatr Surg 46:e29-31, 2011). Case presentation An 8-years-old Arabian male patient was admitted to the gastrointestinal department at the pediatric hospital in Damascus, Syria, with complaints of chronic abdominal pain and periodic vomiting since he was two years old. At the age of Seven, he was diagnosed with appendicitis, and after two months of persistent symptoms, he was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. Finally, after a long time of suffering, he was diagnosed with SMAS and underwent a successful surgical operation. After 3 months of follow-up, he was in good health with no symptoms.

Conclusion: Whenever a patient complains of vomiting and chronic abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction is suspected, Common differential diagnoses were excluded and the cause is anonymous, we should consider superior mesenteric artery syndrome.

Keywords: Case report; Duodenojejunal anastomosis; SMAS; Superior mesenteric artery syndrome; Wilkie's syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Contrast enhanced CT scan abdomen and pelvis (sagittal view) showing the angle between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Contrast enhanced CT scan abdomen and pelvis (transverse view) showing the distance between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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