Abdominal angina is postprandial

Postprandial

Postprandial means after eating a meal while preprandial is before a meal.-Usages of the term:This term is used in many contexts but also in relation to blood sugar levels, which are normally measured 2 hours after and before eating in a postprandial glucose test...

 abdominal pain

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...

 that occurs in individuals with insufficient blood flow to meet mesenteric visceral demands. The term angina is used in reference to angina pectoris, a similar symptom due to obstruction of the coronary artery. The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines abdominal angina as "Intermittent abdominal pain, frequently occurring at a fixed time after eating, caused by inadequacy of the mesenteric circulation. Also called intestinal angina."

Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology is similar to that seen in angina pectoris and intermittent claudication

Intermittent claudication

Intermittent claudication is a clinical diagnosis given for muscle pain , classically in the calf muscle, which occurs during exercise, such as walking, and is relieved by a short period of rest.Claudication derives from the Latin verb claudicare, "to limp".-Signs:One of the hallmarks of arterial...

. The most common cause of abdominal angina is atherosclerotic vascular disease, where the occlusive process commonly involves the ostia and the proximal few centimeters of the mesenteric vessels.
It can be associated with:

• carcinoid
  Carcinoid
  Carcinoid is a slow-growing type of neuroendocrine tumor, originating in the cells of the neuroendocrine system.In 2000, the World Health Organization redefined "carcinoid", but this new definition has not been accepted by all practitioners. This has led to some complexity in distinguishing...
  
  

• aortic coarctation
  Aortic coarctation
  Coarctation of the aorta, or aortic coarctation, is a congenital condition whereby the aorta narrows in the area where the ductus arteriosus inserts.-Types:There are three types:...
  
  

• antiphospholipid syndrome
  Antiphospholipid syndrome
  Antiphospholipid syndrome or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome , often also Hughes syndrome, is an autoimmune, hypercoagulable state caused by antibodies against cell-membrane phospholipids that provokes blood clots in both arteries and veins as well as pregnancy-related complications such as...
  
  

Frequency

• Internationally: Extremely rare. True incidence is unknown
• Race: No data available
• Sex: Females outnumber males by approximately 3 to 1
• Age: Mean age of affected individuals is slightly older than 60 years

Clinical

• Hallmark of condition: Disabling midepigastric or central abdominal pain within 10–15 minutes after eating.
• Physical examination: The abdomen typically is scaphoid and soft, even during an episode of pain. Patients present with stigmata of weight loss and signs of peripheral vascular disease, particularly aortoiliac occlusive disease, may be present.
• Causes: Smoking is an associated risk factor. In most series, approximately 75-80% of patients smoke.