Abstract
Middle aortic syndrome (MAS) is characterized by severe narrowing of the abdominal
aorta, frequently involving the great abdominal vessels. Although increasingly implicated
in primary hypertension, up to one-third of cases affect the mesenteric vasculature,
and the resultant manifestations may be underrecognized. Early intervention with interdisciplinary
medical management and invasive arterial reconstruction affords preservation of end-organ
function and improvement in patient survival. This article reviews the embryology
of the thoracoabdominal aorta and major abdominal arteries, as well as the pathogenesis,
clinical manifestations, and management of the nonatherosclerotic abdominal coarctation
otherwise known as MAS.
Keywords
middle aortic syndrome - visceral manifestations - pathogenesis
