Celiac axis compression syndrome: factors predicting a favorable outcome.

There is still considerable doubt about the existence of the celiac axis compression syndrome. Asymptomatic compression or narrowing of the celiac artery is common, and it is difficult to understand why some patients have significant symptoms while others have none. One major problem emerges from a study of the literature, in that there is no precise definition of the clinical features of a syndrome. Patients with all kinds of abdominal symptoms and varying psychiatric and medical backgrounds have been included in previous studies. It is not surprising, then, that there is no agreement on whether surgery is ever justified. We reported a small series of 11 patients whose clinical features have been carefully documented. Regression analysis of results suggests that good surgical results can be achieved in selected patients by decompression of the artery and restoration of the normal arterial lumen. Patients likely to benefit are those with epigastric pain related to food or hunger who do not have a galaxy of other unrelated symptoms. It is suggested that these factors be included in subsequent definitions of the celiac axis compression syndrome, so that some uniformity be introduced into the writing and thinking about this confusing problem.