Diagnosis and Treatment of Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome: Our Experience in a Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is an uncommon cause of gastrointestinal tract obstruction which is accompanied with epigastric pain and vomiting. Normally, the angle created by the aorta and the SMA is between 45 -60 degrees. Any factor that narrows this aorto-mesenteric angle to less than 25 degrees can result in entrapment and compression of the third part of the duodenum and leading to the SMA syndrome. This paper describes our experience in the diagnosis and management of 5 cases of this rare entity in our tertiary care hospital.