Work

A Two-for-One Diagnosis: A Rare Case of Chronic Abdominal Pain Caused by Gastroptosis and Wilkie’s Syndrome in a Young Woman

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Long-term abdominal pain (LAP) affects 30% to 40% of children on a weekly basis, representing a signifi-cant challenge for medical practitioners due to the extensive differential diagnoses and often-inconclusive work-up. It often results from functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) such as functional dyspepsia (postprandial distress syndrome, epigastric pain syndrome) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but can also be associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), allergic bowel disease (ABD) and psychological fac-tors. However, less common causes include visceroptosis, specifically gastroptosis, and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome. Visceroptosis, or Glenard's disease, involves the downward displacement of visceral organs due to ligament laxity, while gastroptosis refers to the specific downward displacement of the stomach. SMA (Wilkie syndrome) is a rare condition in which the third part of the duodenum is compressed between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. Both conditions were first described in the 19th century and are more common in young women. While a few cases of these conditions separately have been reported in the literature, no cases have documented their simultaneous coexistence. Here we present the case of a 17-year-old girl with a six- to seven-month history of postprandial abdominal pain and vomiting who was di-agnosed with both gastroptosis and SMA. We also provide a comprehensive literature review.

Source: Diagnostics

DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15030270