Non-aneurysmal Gastroepiploic Arterial Hemorrhage With Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome

Spontaneous non-aneurysmal gastroepiploic arterial hemorrhage is a rare occurrence, and its association with celiac axis compression syndrome (CACS), also referred to as median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), is even more uncommon. Furthermore, nontraumatic intraperitoneal hemorrhage due to defecation strain is also rare. This study reports an extremely rare case of non-aneurysmal gastroepiploic arterial hemorrhage with CACS/MALS after defecation strain. A 24-year-old man presented with a sudden upper abdominal pain on the left side after defecation. The patient was diagnosed with bleeding from the gastroepiploic artery and CACS/MALS using contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The patient underwent urgent laparotomy, and subsequent pathogenic examination revealed no aneurysm. This was an atypical case of intraperitoneal hemorrhage with CACS/MALS, and hemorrhage may have occurred due to a combination of vascular fragility, elevated arterial blood pressure, and hemostatic disorder.