Weight loss: a cause or a consequence of wilkie’s syndrome
International Journal of Development Research
Weight loss: a cause or a consequence of wilkie’s syndrome
Received 19th May, 2017; Received in revised form 15th June, 2017; Accepted 16th July, 2017; Published online 30th August, 2017
Copyright ©2017, Elias Makhoul et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) known as Wilkie's syndrome is a rare cause of duodenal obstruction. It is a disorder in which acute angulation of the SMA causes compression of the third part of the duodenum between the SMA and the aorta, following the disappearance of perivascular fatty tissue after advanced malnutrition. The diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion of upper gastrointestinal obstruction plus progressive weight loss, with radiographic studies demonstrating compression of the third portion of the duodenum. The severity of the symptoms depends on the aortomesenteric angle and the degree of the compression. The treatment is medical, but in case of failure, surgery is necessary.
