Medical Anatomy Commons^™

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome: A Rare Cause Of Abdominal Pain That Is Difficult To Identify, Mark E. Eskander, Matthew Thrall, Joel P. Thompson

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disease that occurs when the celiac artery is compressed by the median arcuate ligament. Patients with MALS typically present with non-specific symptoms that overlap with more common diseases. As a result, patients may undergo extensive workup and unnecessary treatments before being properly diagnosed with MALS. In this case we present a 23-year-old female with chronic postprandial abdominal pain that persisted despite undergoing a cholecystectomy. This case highlights the symptoms and imaging findings needed to diagnose MALS and thus prevent unnecessary surgical interventions.