Analysis of the relationship between spinal alignment and retrocrural space area in adult spinal deformity surgery: Potential risk factors for acute celiac artery compression syndrome.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to reveal the association between spinal parameters and RCS area in patients with adult spinal deformities treated with spinal correction surgery. We hypothesized that reduction of the retrocrural space (RCS) area is related to thoracolumbar alignment, which may cause acute celiac artery compression syndrome (ACACS). METHODS: Eighty-nine patients (age: 68.4 ± 7.6 years; sex: 7 male/82 female) with ASD treated by spinal correction surgery were enrolled. Preoperative and postoperative spinal parameters were measured, and the differences between these parameters were calculated. Postoperative T12 translation was measured and RCS area was evaluated using reconstructed computed tomography. The change of RCS area after surgery was defined as ΔRCS. Patients were divided into increased and decreased RCS groups by the ΔRCS value, and spinal parameters were compared between groups. The correlation between spinal parameters and ΔRCS was calculated. RESULTS: The patients in the decreased RCS group had greater anterior T12 translation than those in the increased RCS group (p < 0.001). T12 translation was significantly correlated with ΔRCS (ß = -0.31, p = 0.017). There were no correlations between ΔRCS and other spinal parameters. CONCLUSION: Thoracolumbar alignment was associated with RCS area. Consistent with the hypothesis, overcorrection of the thoracolumbar junction was associated with reduced RCS area and might be one risk factor for ACACS.

Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Treatment for Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Since the first description of the median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), the existence for the syndrome and the efficacy of treatment for it have been questioned. METHODS: A systematic review conforming to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement was conducted, with a broader view on treatment for MALS including any kind of coeliac artery release, coeliac plexus resection, and coeliac plexus blockage, irrespective of age. Online databases were used to identify papers published between 1963 and July 2021. The inclusion criteria were abdominal symptoms, proof of MALS on imaging, and articles reporting at least three patients. Primary outcomes were symptom relief and quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: Thirty-eight studies describing 880 adult patients and six studies describing 195 paediatric patients were included. The majority of the adult studies reported symptom relief of more than 70% from three to 228 months after treatment. Two adult studies showed an improved QoL after treatment. Half of the paediatric studies reported symptom relief of more than 70% from six to 62 months after laparoscopic coeliac artery release, and four studies reported an improved QoL. Thirty-five (92%) adult studies and five (83%) paediatric studies scored a high or unclear risk of bias for the majority of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) items. The meaning of coeliac plexus resection or blockage could not be substantiated. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests a sustainable symptom relief of more than 70% after treatment for MALS in the majority of adult and paediatric studies; however, owing to the heterogeneity of the inclusion criteria and outcome parameters, the risk of bias was high and a formal meta-analysis could not be performed. To improve care for patients with MALS the next steps would be to deal with reporting standards, outcome definitions, and consensus descriptions of the intervention(s), after which an appropriate randomised controlled trial should be performed.

A challenging diagnosis of exercise-related transient abdominal pain.

A 17-year-old woman, high-performance triathlete, presented transient abdominal pain, face angioedema and sometimes syncope during exercise. Exercise-induced anaphylaxis was suspected at first. Allergic explorations with skin prick tests were negative but wheat flour specific IgE and recombinant rTri a14 (LTP) were weakly positive. However, wheat eviction did not improve the symptoms and stress test after wheat oral challenge did not show any signs of anaphylaxis. An abdominal ultrasound revealed peak expiratory velocities with a stenosis evaluated at 70 to 80 percent with turbulences in the celiac artery, confirmed by computed tomography angiogram. The diagnosis of exercise-induced median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) was retained and we discuss here the challenging diagnosis mimicking exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

Laparoscopic decompression of a stricture of the celiac artery caused by the median arcuate ligament in a gastric cancer patient: A case of report.

Stricture of the celiac artery caused by the median arcuate ligament induces abdominal ischemic symptoms and aneurysm near the pancreatic head. However, the need to treat asymptomatic patients is unclear. We safely performed surgical decompression of a stricture of the celiac artery by MAL in an asymptomatic patient at the same time as gastrectomy for gastric cancer. After surgery, the stricture of the celiac artery had disappeared as demonstrated by CT scan and 3-D CT angiography.

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome Related to Bodybuilding.

BACKGROUND: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), also known as celiac artery compression syndrome, is characterized by postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss thought to be secondary to compression of the celiac artery ganglia by the median arcuate ligament (MAL). METHODS: A young female powerlifter presented with a 3-month history of postprandial epigastric pain and involuntary weight loss following the start of a vigorous weightlifting program. The diagnosis of MALS was established after excluding other possibilities and by detailed evaluation including magnetic resonance imaging and celiac plexus block. She was treated by laparoscopic MAL release. RESULTS: The patient experienced immediate and complete cessation of her pain. She has continued to be asymptomatic at 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy weightlifting may potentially lead to MALS. The laparoscopic approach to MAL release can be utilized to treat this condition with favorable results.

Celiac Artery Syndrome After Correction of Kyphoscoliosis.

Compression of the celiac artery by a tight arcuate ligament of the diaphragm is a rare syndrome that can arise after correction of severe kyphosis. Symptoms include abdominal pain and ileus and liver dysfunctions. These symptoms can be easily attributed to more common causes like the superior mesenteric artery syndrome, and a delay in the diagnosis of celiac artery obstruction may result in severe ischemic disease of the gastrointestinal tract. We present a case of celiac artery syndrome after correction of a kyphoscoliosis with severe sequelae that has not been documented before.

Median arcuate ligament syndrome and arterial anastomotic bleeding inducing hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation: A case report.

RATIONALE: Median arcuate ligament (MAL) may compress the coeliac trunk inducing median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). MALS is a risk factor for hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) in liver transplant recipients. PATIENT CONCERNS: A thin female complained about upper abdominal pain for two months. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed as primary biliary cirrhosis. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received two liver transplantations. During the first liver transplantation, the hepatic artery (HA) pulsations were normal. Doppler B ultrasonography showed normal blood flow in the HA in the first week. A 4 cm hematoma was detected in the first porta hepatis. On the ninth day, the hematoma had increased to 9 cm along with development of HAT. Exploratory laparotomy was performed. Bleeding at the site of arterial anastomosis was considered to be the reason for the hematoma. Doppler imaging revealed no blood flow in the liver. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated MALS. Salvage liver transplantation combined with dissection of MAL was performed. The maximum velocity of HA increased to 87 cm/s. OUTCOMES: The patient was discharged from the hospital 17 days after the second transplantation. At discharge, the liver function was normal and Doppler showed good blood flow in the HA. LESSONS: MALS can cause HAT after liver transplantation. Before the liver transplantation, we should use Doppler B ultrasonography and sagittal CT imaging to judge whether the patient is with MALS. Also, before arterial anastomosis in liver transplantation is conducted, we should observe the impacts on the HA caused by pre-blocking gastroduodenal artery, which determines if we are supposed to do MAL dissection or bridge HA with aorta.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with Preservation of Collateral Circulation or Revascularization for Biliary Pancreatic Cancer with Celiac Axis Occlusion: A Report of 2 Cases.

BACKGROUND In cases of celiac axis occlusion requiring pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy, both oncologic curability and control of hepatic arterial flow must be considered, but the operative strategy is undeveloped. CASE REPORT Case 1: A 74-year-old man was diagnosed with hilar cholangiocarcinoma with celiac axis stenosis. The collateral from the superior mesenteric artery ran through the pancreas head but no invasion was observed in preoperative imaging. Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy with preservation of a collateral was performed. Case 2: A 69-year-old woman was diagnosed with pancreas head cancer with celiac axis occlusion. The collateral from the superior mesenteric artery ran through pancreas head and tumor invasion was observed. Pancreaticoduodenectomy with bypass revascularization using a vein graft was performed. Both operations were performed safely oncologically under preoperative planning that was based on computed tomographic angiography. The operative procedure was ultimately determined by evaluation of perioperative blood flow under Doppler ultrasonography after clamping the gastroduodenal artery. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative simulations of arterial revascularization and perioperative evaluation of blood flow are necessary for the success of this procedure.

Celiac axis stenosis due to median arcuate ligament compression in a patient who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy; intraoperative assessment of hepatic arterial flow using Doppler ultrasonography: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Celiac axis stenosis due to compression by the median arcuate ligament has been reported in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy; it leads to the development of major collateral pathways that feed the hepatic artery. Dividing these important collaterals during pancreaticoduodenectomy can cause ischemic complications which may lead to a high mortality rate. To prevent these complications, it is necessary to assess intrahepatic arterial flow. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old Japanese man with anorexia was referred to us for the treatment of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Computed tomography revealed a pancreatic head tumor with a calculus, associated with the dilatation of the main pancreatic duct and intrahepatic bile duct. Three-dimensional imaging demonstrated focal narrowing in the proximal celiac axis due to median arcuate ligament compression and a prominent gastroduodenal artery that fed the common hepatic artery. The preoperative diagnosis was alcoholic chronic pancreatitis with common bile duct obstruction and celiac axis stenosis due to median arcuate ligament compression. Pancreaticoduodenectomy with median arcuate ligament release was scheduled. Before the division of the median arcuate ligament, the peak flow velocity and resistive index of his intrahepatic artery measured with Doppler ultrasonography decreased from 37.7 cm/second and 0.510, respectively, to 20.6 cm/second and 0.508 respectively, when his gastroduodenal artery was clamped. However, these values returned to baseline levels after the division of the median arcuate ligament. These findings suggested that pancreaticoduodenectomy could be performed safely. Our patient was discharged on postoperative day 17 without significant complications. CONCLUSION: The intraoperative quantitative evaluation of intrahepatic arterial blood flow using Doppler ultrasonography was useful in a patient who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, who had celiac axis stenosis due to compression by the median arcuate ligament.

Acute celiac artery compression syndrome after extensive correction of sagittal balance on an adult spinal deformity.

PURPOSE: To describe the first case of a patient who developed acute celiac artery compression syndrome (ACACS) after extensive correction of sagittal balance on an adult spinal deformity. METHODS: A 77-year-old woman presented with low back pain and spinal kyphosis deformity. We performed a two-stage correction with extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF), and her lumbar lordosis improved from -47° to 53°. However, after surgery, she experienced frequent vomiting and diarrhea. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed marked narrowing of the abdominal aorta at the L1/2 level, and both the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery were compressed. Therefore, emergency surgery was performed. After laparotomy, we found that the small bowel exhibited an unfavorable color and that peristalsis had stopped. The aorta was compressed from the anterior direction at the upper side of the renal arteries. The median arcuate ligament (MAL) and celiac plexus were responsible for the compression. After the compression was relieved, the small bowel color and peristaltic activity improved. RESULTS: Postoperatively, there was no recurrence of abdominal symptoms. The patient could walk with a walking frame from 3 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: ACACS is a life-threatening complication, and therefore, it is very important that ACACS is diagnosed and treated early. Spinal deformity surgeons should be aware of the possible occurrence of this condition after extensive correction of sagittal balance on adult spinal deformity.