Possible diagnosis of celiac artery compression syndrome in a patient who had abdominal pain during and after eating *
We report the case of a girl in her teens, who, some years ago, had pain due to cramps in the upper part of her abdomen during and after eating. She was not treated, but the pain spontaneously disappeared. However, later, she started having frequent bouts of pain, and its severity began to increase about 2 to 3 months ago, and thus, she visited the division of outpatients clinic of Kawasaki Medical School Hospital. We noted that the pain occurred during and after eating, and it was the most severe immediately after eating; after about 30 to 60 min, the pain gradually subsided. Blood and urine examinations revealed no obvious abnormalities, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy indicated no obvious causes of the symptom. After a routine abdominal ultrasound (US), measurement of celiac artery blood flow showed high blood-flow velocity, which met the US diagnostic criteria for celiac artery compression syndrome (CACS). Although contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed no obvious narrowing of the celiac artery, a possible diagnosis of CACS was made. Some patients who had abdominal pain associated with eating and were treated as functional dyspepsia might have CACS. Therefore, awareness of the disease itself and establishment of a medical care system are required in the future. (Accepted on June 5, 2012)
