title: Ultrasound imaging in diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We screened a cohort of subjects affected by various degree of dyspepsia to reveal if they presented a reduction of the aorto-mesenteric angle and to diagnose suspected cases of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled, prospective, study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were studied as outpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study investigated a total of 3622 subjects referred to our department by their general practitioners for dyspepsia and/or abdominal pain. Interventions. Abdominal ultrasonography with power colour Doppler, gastroduodenoscopy, hypotonic duodenography, contrast-enhanced spiral computerized tomography were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: Color Doppler revealed a significant reduction of the SMA angle in 29 of 950 subjects; gastroscopy showed duodenal compressive pulsation in 14 of 29 patients and X-ray revealed compression of the third segment of the duodenum in 28 of 29 patients. CT confirmed the presence of a reduced angle and various degrees of duodenal compression in all patients. Ultrasonography and CT examinations gave overlapping results (P > 0.05) in diagnosing pathological aorto-mesenteric angle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors believe that the incidence of reduced aorto-mesenteric angle and SMA syndrome might be underrated. Ultrasound power colour Doppler imaging is useful in epidemiological screening of reduced aorto-mesenteric angle to diagnose suspected cases of SMA syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Systemic Diseases, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. sergio.neri4@tin.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mondati
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pulvirenti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campanile
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Pino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scuderi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giustolisi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Prima
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mauceri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cilio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misseri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scuderi
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013478:Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color