Wilkie’s syndrome. An uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction in a young patient

Abstract

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome, also named as Wilkie’s syndrome, is a rare, potentially life-threatening gastro-vascular disorder and an uncommon cause of proximal bowel obstruction characterized by a compression of the third and final portion of the duodenum by the abdominal aorta and the overlying superior mesenteric artery. There isn’t a consensus regarding to the optimal treatment of this condition. We describe a case of Wilkie’s syndrome in a young female with characteristic symptoms of upper intestinal obstruction, whose diagnosis was delayed for 2 years.