# Wilkie's Syndrome as a Cause of Intestinal Obstruction and Chronic Abdominal Pain: A Case Report

## TL;DR

This case report describes a rare condition called Wilkie's syndrome causing intestinal obstruction and chronic abdominal pain in a middle-aged woman.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in presenting a clinical case with diagnostic imaging and surgical intervention for Wilkie's syndrome.

## Key findings

- Computed tomography showed a narrowed aortomesenteric angle and distance, consistent with Wilkie's syndrome.
- The patient underwent duodenojejunostomy following exploratory laparotomy to relieve the obstruction.

## Abstract

Wilkie's syndrome (WS), or superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome, is an extremely rare condition, with only a small number of cases reported. It is characterized by a picture of high intestinal obstruction, due to the compression of the third portion of the duodenum, as a consequence of a narrowing of the aortomesenteric angle (approximately <25°). We report the case of a woman in her fifth decade of life, who reports chronic abdominal pain and comes to the emergency department presenting with a picture of intestinal occlusion. During her management, an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan is performed, with evidence of a decrease in the aortomesenteric angle and the aortomesenteric distance, with dilation of the first two duodenal and gastric portions. She underwent exploratory laparotomy, where a duodenojejunostomy was performed.