MALS

Educational draft — clinical review pending

What it means

MALS involves pressure from a band of tissue near the diaphragm on the celiac artery and nearby nerves. The artery supplies blood to several upper abdominal organs. Some people have this compression without symptoms, so imaging alone does not establish MALS. Whether compression explains symptoms needs careful evaluation.

Common symptoms

Upper abdominal pain after eating or exercise, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, and unintended weight loss may occur. Pain can make eating difficult. These symptoms overlap with other conditions.

Source: Mayo Clinic — MALS overview and symptoms

How it is evaluated

Clinicians combine history, examination, and tests for other explanations. Ultrasound can examine blood flow during breathing; CT or MR angiography can show anatomy. Other tests may include upper endoscopy or a gastric-emptying study. Some teams use a celiac plexus block to temporarily numb nearby nerves and gather information before surgery; it is one part of assessment.

Care discussions

Surgery releases pressure on the artery and surrounding nerves; some patients need artery treatment too. Nutrition and support for persistent pain matter. Outcomes vary. A large multicenter study found full, partial, or no relief, with symptoms sometimes returning. No procedure guarantees an individual's result.

Sources: Mayo Clinic — Diagnosis and treatment ; Multicenter MALS outcomes study

Questions to ask
What connects this finding to my symptoms? Which alternatives were assessed? What could a nerve block tell us? What are treatment risks and alternatives? How will nutrition and persistent symptoms be supported?

Urgent symptoms
Seek urgent medical help for sudden sharp abdominal pain, vomiting blood, black or bloody stools, or difficulty breathing. New severe symptoms need evaluation even with a known compression.

Source: MedlinePlus — Abdominal pain

Sources checked September 30, 2026. Educational draft; clinical review pending.

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