A Study of the Anatomy of Superior Mesenteric Artery with Multislice Spiral CT Angiography

Objective To measure the angle and distance between superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and abdominal aorta (AA) at the level of left renal vein and duodenum in Chinese.Methods The angle and distance between SMA and AA were measured in 41 patients with normal CT findings in the supine position using 16 slices multislice spiral CT(MSCT)scanner.Results The average angle of 41 normal cases was 47.4°±18.3° (mean±SD), and 3 of 41 (7.3%)≤15°,10 of 41 (24.4%)≥70°. At the level of left renal vein and duodenum, the average distance between SMA and AA were (1.3±0.4) cm and (1.4±0.4) cm respectively.Conclusion MSCT allows accurately measure the angle and distance between SMA and AA, it shows significance in the diagnosis of SMA syndrome and nutcracker phenomenon.