Median arcuate ligament syndrome often poses a diagnostic challenge: A literature review with a scope of our own experience.

The median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is recognized as a rare clinical entity, characterized by chronic post-prandial abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and unintentional weight loss. Due to its vague symptomatology, it is mainly regarded as a diagnosis of exclusion. Patients can often be misdiagnosed for several years before a correct diagnosis is established, also due to a medical team's clinical suspicion. We present a case series of two patients who suffered from MALS and were treated successfully. The first patient is a 32-year-old woman, presenting with post-prandial abdominal pain and weight loss that have lasted for the past ten years. The second patient, a 50-year-old woman, presented with similar symptomatology, with the symptoms lasting for the last five years. Both cases were treated by laparoscopic division of the median arcuate ligament fibers, which alleviated extrinsic pressure from the celiac artery. Previous cases of MALS were retrieved from PubMed, to assemble a better diagnostic algorithm and propose a treatment method of choice. The literature review suggests an angiography with a respiratory variation protocol as the diagnostic modality of choice, along with the laparoscopic division of the median arcuate ligament fibers as the proposed treatment of choice.

Successful closure of a complicated duodenal ulcer perforation with an expandable esophageal stent.

Laparotomy and reoperation remain the standard procedures for patients with suture line disruption after the initial surgical treatment for duodenal ulcer perforation has failed. Recently, endoscopic stents have been employed for dehiscence of the suture line after a surgical repair or even as a primary treatment. We present such a case, the fourth in the literature. In this case, a partially covered stent was placed to cover the duodenal perforation opening after an unsuccessful stitching 6 days earlier. We discuss the difficulties in stent positioning, the choice of sealant, and possible complications. Overall, for older patients with comorbidities, endoscopic stent placement could be considered a promising alternative minimally invasive treatment.