Celiac axis compression (Dunbar) syndrome: literature revue on a common misdiagnosis of patients with chronic abdominal pain

Back
Adam Abechri, Etienne Mauel Published in the journal : April 2021 Category : Chirurgie générale

Summary :

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), which is also known as Dunbar syndrome, is a rare congenital condition. This syndrome is due to celiac trunk (CT) compression by the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm, which causes diffuse abdominal pain owing to organic ischemia and nerve compression. This anatomical variant affects 10 to 24% of the general population, whereas only a small proportion develop clinical symptoms. Due to lack of knowledge, this anatomical abnormality can lead to prejudicial diagnostic wandering of patients with chronic abdominal pain. This article offers a review of the literature on MALS: the paper discusses its anatomy and clinical features, while also detailing various useful diagnostic explorations. The report compares certain treatments and highlights relevant predictive factors for its management.

Key Words

Median arcuate ligament syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, diagnosis, predictive factors, laparoscopy