title: Arcuate ligament vascular compression syndrome in infants and children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arcuate ligament vascular compression syndrome has not been described previously in the pediatric or pediatric surgical literature. However, it is mentioned in the literature of vascular and general surgery and in journals of radiology and orthopedics. In this review, the intraoperative pathological anatomy and the principles of treatment for 8 children will be presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The chart records and the anatomical sketches that were documented by the surgeon immediately after each procedure were analyzed retrospectively. In addition, preoperative courses and long-term follow-up (range, 3-18 years) were evaluated by a defined program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of celiac artery compression by an arcuate ligament was suspected in children presenting with a history of several years of recurrent acute abdominal pain associated with a typical arterial bruit in the midline of the epigastric region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Other diseases with recurrent abdominal pain and an arterial bruit must be excluded before making the decision for an operative intervention. Duplex ultrasound and angiography are possibly helpful tools to establish the respective diagnosis, but in the patients of the present series, these techniques neither confirmed compression of the celiac axis nor demonstrated decreased perfusion of the superior mesenteric artery. However, as the clinical symptoms clearly announce the disease, these diagnostic measures are not mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. profpschweizer@web.de
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Otfried
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002445:Celiac Artery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery