SMA syndrome: management perspective with laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy and long-term results

Case report: doing the mesenteric twist

A 23 year old female presents with an internal hernia after undergoing a laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy for superior mesenteric artery syndrome. This is an extremely uncommon complication. On review of the literature and this case, it is hypothesized that the internal hernia happened in this case due to the longer than usual distance between the duodenojejunal flexure and the part of jejunum brought up to anastomosis.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome: Diagnosis and management

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome (also known as Wilkie's syndrome, cast syndrome, or aorto-mesenteric compass syndrome) is an obstruction of the duodenum caused by extrinsic compression between the SMA and the aorta. The median age of patients is 23 years old (range 0-91 years old) and predominant in females over males with a ratio of 3:2. The symptoms are variable, consisting of postprandial abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, early satiety, anorexia, and weight loss and can mimic anorexia nervosa or functional dyspepsia. Because recurrent vomiting leads to aspiration pneumonia or respiratory depression via metabolic alkalosis, early diagnosis is required. The useful diagnostic modalities are computed tomography as a standard tool and ultrasonography, which has advantages in safety and capability of real-time assessments of SMA mobility and duodenum passage. The initial treatment is usually conservative, including postural change, gastroduodenal decompression, and nutrient management (success rates: 70%-80%). If conservative therapy fails, surgical treatment (i.e., laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy) is recommended (success rates: 80%-100%).

Nutcracker phenomenon secondary to superior mesenteric artery syndrome

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome, compression of the duodenum due to a decreased angle between the aorta and SMA, has a wide range of clinical presentations making it difficult to diagnose. Compression of the left renal vein is known as Nutcracker syndrome. We present the case of a 26-year-old male with a delayed diagnosis of SMA syndrome and Nutcracker phenomenon due to the patient's history of chronic pancreatitis. As a result of his obstruction and aspiration pneumonia, he was diagnosed with septic shock. The patient was treated for septic shock and maintained on an enteric diet with improvement in the body mass index and complete resolution of SMA syndrome symptoms.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome secondary to thyrotoxicosis

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is defined as a narrowed space and decreased angle between the SMA and aorta leading to partial or complete obstruction of the third portion of the duodenum. SMA syndrome patients may have comorbid conditions associated with extreme weight loss, hypermetabolism or malnutrition. We present the case of a 55-year-old male with SMA syndrome due to acute weight loss secondary to thyrotoxicosis. The patient was nutritionally optimized and euthyroid prior to undergoing a robotic-assisted duodenojejunostomy. In this patient, the thyrotoxicosis was controlled medically, and he remained euthyroid postoperatively. His duodenal obstruction was relieved by the operation and he continued to gain weight appropriately.

Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome Managed with Laparoscopic Duodenojejunostomy

Background

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare disorder that may be managed surgically if conservative management fails. Different surgical techniques have been described, division of the ligament of Treitz, gastrojejunostomy, and duodenojejunostomy. The aim of this case series is to show that laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a safe and technically feasible management for superior mesenteric artery syndrome.

Methods

In this case series, we retrospectively identified all patients who underwent laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy for SMA syndrome in our tertiary university center between December 2016 and July 2019. Data collected included demographics, presenting symptoms, comorbidities, pre and postoperative body mass index (BMI), operative approach, operative blood loss, operative duration, clinical and radiological results, in hospital/30-day complications, mortality, and postoperative follow-up outcomes.

Results

We identified eleven patients, 10 females and 1 male, with a median age 23 years (range 17–43 years). All patients had refractory symptoms after a minimum of two months of conservative management and subsequently underwent laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy. There were no intraoperative complications and no in-hospital or 30-day postoperative mortality or complications were identified. Follow-up data showed complete resolution in 73% of patients (n = 8) and only one patient with no improvement postoperatively. Results also showed a median BMI increase of 2 kg/m² (range 1–9 kg/m²) at a median follow-up of 16 months (range 4–48 months).

Conclusion

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a safe treatment option for SMA syndrome and should be considered when patients do not respond to conservative management.

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy for malignant stenosis as a part of multimodal therapy: A case report

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy (LDJ) has become the standard surgical procedure for superior mesenteric artery syndrome due to its sufficient outcome in terms of safety and symptom relief. However, there are only a few reports about LDJ for malignant stenosis and its indication remains uncertain.

CASE SUMMARY

A 77-year-old woman with a history of pancreatic cancer (PC) treated with distal pancreatectomy with en bloc resection of the transverse colon 7 mo ago was admitted for recurrent vomiting. Imaging upon admission revealed marked distention of the duodenum and a tumor around the duodenojejunal flexure. She was diagnosed with malignant stenosis caused by local recurrence of PC. LDJ was performed with an uneventful postoperative course, followed by chemotherapy which gave her 10 mo overall survival.

CONCLUSION

We think that LDJ is a valuable method for unresectable malignant stenosis around the duodenojejunal flexure as a part of multimodal therapy.

Wilkie’s syndrome as a cause of anxiety-depressive disorder: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is a disease with a complex diagnosis, and it is associated with complications that make it even harder to identify. Currently, a frequent association with psychiatric disorders has been noted. Despite numerous case reports and case series, the variability of the disease has not allowed the development of protocols regarding diagnosis and management.

CASE SUMMARY

A 33-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and bile vomiting over the last 15 mo, associated with a 15-kg weight loss over the last three months. After the onset of the symptoms, the patient was diagnosed with anxiety-depressive disorder and treated appropriately. Standard examinations excluded an organic cause, and the cause of the symptoms was considered psychogenic. The persistence of symptoms, even under treatment, prompted a computer tomography angiography examination of the abdomen and pelvis. The examination identified emergence at a sharp angle of 13.7° of the superior mesenteric artery, with a reduced distance between the artery and the anterior wall of the aorta up to a maximum of 8 mm. A diagnosis of aortomesenteric clamp was established. Surgical treatment by laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy was performed. Postoperative evolution was marked by a patent anastomosis at 1 mo, with a 10-kg weight gain and improvement of the associated anxiety.

CONCLUSION

This case report underlines two major aspects. One aspect refers to the predisposition of patients with superior mesenteric artery syndrome to develop psychiatric disorders, with an excellent outcome when proper treatment is administered. The second aspect underlines the key role of a multidisciplinary approach and follow-up.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome treated successfully by endoscopy-assisted jejunal feeding tube placement

We report the case of a 31-year-old man with superior mesenteric artery syndrome after reoperation due to postoperative complications from rectal cancer. Although initial total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy failed, he underwent endoscopy-assisted feeding tube placement without complications instead of surgery. After 2 weeks of dual feeding (enteral feeding and TPN), he improved, gaining 6 kg; and an oral diet was advanced.

A clinical course of a patient with anorexia nervosa receiving surgery for superior mesenteric artery syndrome

BACKGROUND

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a well-known but relatively rare complication of anorexia nervosa. Although several reports have proposed surgery for SMA syndrome associated with anorexia nervosa, these have shown poor outcomes or did not reveal the long-term weight course. Thus, the long-term effectiveness of surgery for SMA syndrome in such cases remains unclear. This case report describes a patient with anorexia nervosa who underwent surgery for SMA syndrome.

CASE PRESENTATION

An 18-year-old woman presented with anorexia nervosa when she was 16 years old. She also presented with SMA syndrome, which seemed to be caused by weight loss due to the eating disorder. Nutrition therapy initially improved her body weight, but she ceased treatment. She reported that symptoms related to SMA syndrome had led to her weight loss and desired to undergo surgery. Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy was performed, but her body weight did not improve after the surgery. The patient eventually received conservative nutritional treatment along with psychological approaches, which led to an improvement in her body weight.

CONCLUSIONS

The case implies that surgery for SMA syndrome in patients with anorexia nervosa is ineffective for long-term weight recovery and that conservative treatment can sufficiently improve body weight; this is consistent with the lack of evidence on the topic and reports on potential complications of surgery. Due to difficulties in assessing psychological status, consultation with specialists on eating disorders is necessary for treating patients with severely low body weight.

The role of ultrasound imaging in vascular compression syndromes

Vascular compression syndromes are rare alterations that have in common the compression of an arterial and/or venous vessel by contiguous structures and can be congenital or acquired. The best known are the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Nutcracker Syndrome, May–Thurner Syndrome, and Dunbar Syndrome. The incidence of these pathologies is certainly underestimated due to the non-specific clinical signs and their frequent asymptomaticity. Being a first-level method, Ultrasound plays a very important role in identifying these alterations, almost always allowing a complete diagnostic classification. If in expert hands, this method can significantly contribute to the reduction of false negatives, especially in the asymptomatic population, where the finding of the aforementioned pathologies often happens randomly following routine checks. In this review, we briefly discuss the best known vascular changes, the corresponding ultrasound anatomy, and typical ultrasound patterns.

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy requiring a side-to-side jejunojejunostomy in malignant stenosis of the gastrojejunal anastomosis in jejunal cancer: A case report

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Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a common intervention for the stricture of the distal duodenum.

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Not all patients respond to this intervention, and methods to treat them must be discussed.

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Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction caused fluids to accumulate in the jejunal loop in our case.

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Jejunojejunostomy was a solution to treat our patient.

Introduction

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a common surgical treatment for SMA syndrome. Although there are successful cases of laparoscopic duodenojejunostomies on malignant conditions, cancer patients with opioid-induced bowel dysfunction could struggle in maintaining an oral diet despite surgical treatment of the mechanical obstruction.

Case presentation

A 66 year-old woman with a chemotherapy history of 18 months for Stage 4 jejunal cancer near the ligament of Treiz presented with vomiting and dehydration. She had a gastrojejunostomy constructed prior to the induction of chemotherapy. CT scan and endoscopic studies confirmed the stricture of this anastomosis due to tumor invasion. Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy was performed, but tolerable food intake was not achieved, likely due to limited bowel movements caused by opioid use and tumor invasion of the celiac plexus. A side-to-side jejunojejunostomy was constructed, since accumulation of food in her jejunal loop was thought to be a significant cause of her limited food intake and vomiting. She was able to tolerate oral intake after the second intervention and was discharged home.

Discussion

Successful cases of laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy in malignant strictures of the duodenum have been reported. In this case, the outcome was not so well due to limited bowel movements caused by opioid use. Literature review of laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy on SMA syndrome revealed some cases to be unsuccessful in enabling oral feeding or resolving nausea, and methods to treat such cases could be discussed further.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is an option for malignant strictures of the duodenum, but a favorable outcome could not be achieved in our case. A side to side anastomosis of the jejunal loop and the efferent jejunum may help in improving the outcome.