Aortic and coeliac axis compression by the median arcuate ligament

Abstract

Median arcuate ligament syndrome is a clinical condition in which the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms is thought to be compression of the coeliac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. We report a case of a 25-year-old woman with compression of the supra-coeliac aorta and the coeliac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. The patient was successfully treated with open surgical decompression. Median arcuate ligament syndrome is poorly understood, and surgical management is highly variable in its outcome.