Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome: A Rare Mimic of
Common Causes of Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction
Gayatri Madhab, Jette Madsen, Eva Brems Dalgaard, Arindam Bharadwaz
Citation Information :
Madhab G, Madsen J, Brems Dalgaard E, Bharadwaz A. Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome: A Rare Mimic of Common Causes of Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction. Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol 2014; 4 (1):58-60.
Rare causes of common symptoms often pose a diagnostic dilemma which can lead to unwanted loss
of precious time in proper diagnosis and management. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome
is such a rare disorder. It typically presents with signs and symptoms of upper gastrointestinal (GI)
obstruction which can be mimicked by a variety of clinical conditions, such as peptic ulcer, chronic
pancreatitis, mesenteric ischemia and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A high degree of clinical
suspicion is required to direct proper investigations to narrow down to the correct diagnosis. Multidetector
CT (MDCT) proves to be invaluable not only in ruling out more common conditions mimicking
SMA syndrome but also in arriving at the correct diagnosis quickly and effectively with great clinical
accuracy and thereby removing confusion and delay in proper management.
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