1. < Digestive Health

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)

Posted by Kari Ulrich, Alumna Mentor @kariulrich, Dec 26, 2016

I am looking for other patients that have been diagnosed with Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome. Although it is caused by compression of the celiac artery many people experience abdominal pain after eating, diarrhea, food avoidance. Usually the first doctors they see are GI doctors. It is a diagnosis that is made after everything else is ruled out. I am curious if anyone else has had surgery?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @jpol "I have one strange difference from most people with Mals. I have not lost weight. And..." + (show)
@jpol

I have one strange difference from most people with Mals. I have not lost weight. And when I have pain, i have an overwhelming feeling of hunger and wanting to eat more even though just causes more pain. I currently weigh 300 lbs and am 6' 6" tall.

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@jpol
I didn’t lose weight either. I did not eat much, but preferred carbs, easier to digest. Also, I had an autoimmune GI illness at the same time- not diagnosed at that time either.

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lasirvent | @lasirvent | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @jpol "I have been to see many drs and been to the er with this numerous times...." + (show)
@jpol

I have been to see many drs and been to the er with this numerous times. After a while they all seem to think I was making this all up and it was all in my head. It's frustrating to say the least. One thing that gets me relief is to get in the fetal position if you can imagine a 300 lb man doing that. Lol

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Don’t give up-keep going and

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jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019

I dont know if it matters but I am also diabetic

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jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019

I have been to see many drs and been to the er with this numerous times. After a while they all seem to think I was making this all up and it was all in my head. It's frustrating to say the least. One thing that gets me relief is to get in the fetal position if you can imagine a 300 lb man doing that. Lol

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1 reply
jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019

I have one strange difference from most people with Mals. I have not lost weight. And when I have pain, i have an overwhelming feeling of hunger and wanting to eat more even though just causes more pain. I currently weigh 300 lbs and am 6' 6" tall.

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2 replies
jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @jpol "Can I put my pictures back or no." + (show)
@jpol

Can I put my pictures back or no.

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I see they are still there just before my original post

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jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @jpol "Not yet, I am going to monday" + (show)
@jpol

Not yet, I am going to monday

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Can I put my pictures back or no.

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1 reply
jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @ethanmcconkey "Hi @jpol and welcome to Connect. Those symptoms must be awful. You may have noticed I..." + (show)
@ethanmcconkey

Hi @jpol and welcome to Connect. Those symptoms must be awful. You may have noticed I moved your post to this existing discussion on MALS so that you can connect with others who have experience with this and os that you can learn what they have had to say.

I wanted to introduce you to fellow Connect members @kariulrich and @jbdforisu as they have experience with this and you may be able to provide support for eachother.

Back to you @jpol have you mentioned to your doctor that you think it is MALS as opposed to vasculitis?

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Not yet, I am going to monday

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1 reply
Ethan McConkey, Moderator | @ethanmcconkey | Mar 16, 2019

Hi @jpol and welcome to Connect. Those symptoms must be awful. You may have noticed I moved your post to this existing discussion on MALS so that you can connect with others who have experience with this and os that you can learn what they have had to say.

I wanted to introduce you to fellow Connect members @kariulrich and @jbdforisu as they have experience with this and you may be able to provide support for eachother.

Back to you @jpol have you mentioned to your doctor that you think it is MALS as opposed to vasculitis?

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1 reply
jpol | @jpol | Mar 16, 2019
In reply to @jpol "I am a 52 year old male and I have diarrhea with nausea almost everday of..." + (show)
@jpol

I am a 52 year old male and I have diarrhea with nausea almost everday of my life. I have tested for many things but I just could never get relief. I somewhat learned to deal with the diarrhea by taking questran every morning before eating anything for 2 hours. If not I would get diarrhea within 10 minutes of eating my first meal everyday. I also get spells of severe abdominal pain with my stomach right in the middle under my ribs being ultra sore. I was recently hospitalized and they were thinking pancreatitis but they did a ct scan and found 75 percent stenosis of my celiac trunk artery. They say it is from vasculitis but the the ct scan clearly shows my ligament that attaches to my diaphragm is rapped around my celiac artery. The artery is only 2mm in dia now but the artery just past the ligament is 6.5 mm. It hurts almost all the time now but especially when I exhale. They want me to see a rheumatologist for treatment of vasculitis but I feel I actually have Mals syndrome. Here is a picture of my celiac artery.

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Here is the picture of my celiac
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