Normal distance and angle between the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta in a Sri Lankan cohort

This study aimed to assess the normal values of the distance and angle between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and abdominal aorta (AA) in an asymptomatic Sri Lankan cohort using computed tomography (CT) images. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at three selected government hospitals, involving 100 patients (50 males and 50 females) who underwent contrast-enhanced (CE) CT exams for gastrointestinal reasons, aged 18 to 80 years. Demographic parameters such as age, gender, height (m), and weight (kg) were recorded prior to the scanning. The mean aorto-mesenteric distance (AMD) was 14.49 mm, and the mean aorto-mesenteric angle (AMA) was 57.14°. Significant associations were observed between gender and AMD (p = 0.014) as well as gender and AMA (p = 0.018), with males exhibiting higher values. Differences in AMD (p = 0.01) and AMA (p = 0.026) were also significant across BMI groups, with higher values seen in individuals with higher BMI. No significant correlation was found between age and AMD (p = 0.827) or age and AMA (p = 0.307). This study highlights significant gender and BMI-related differences in the anatomical relationship between the SMA and AA. Age, however, does not appear to significantly impact these measurements within the studied range. Future research should explore additional demographic factors to further understand these variations.