Doppler sonography of the superior mesenteric artery in children with recurrent abdominal pain.
OBJECTIVE
Abdominal pain is one of the most common conditions in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) Doppler findings in children with recurrent abdominal pain.


METHODS
Duplex Doppler sonographic measurements were performed in 20 patients with recurrent abdominal pain and in 34 controls.


RESULTS
The mean blood flow velocities, blood flow volume, and diameter of the SMA were significantly lower in patients with recurrent abdominal pain than in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Insufficient development and/or vasoconstriction of the SMA vascular bed may be involved in recurrent abdominal pain, but further studies on larger groups are needed to test this hypothesis.
Koktener
Asli
A
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Fatih University, Alparslan Turkes Cad. No. 57, Ankara 06510, Turkey.
Yilmaz
Ayse Esra
AE
Catal
Ferat
F
Eminoglu
Sancar
S
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012008:Recurrence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000379:methods*