Dunbar syndrome Overview Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) refers to a condition that happens when the median arcuate ligament in your chest presses against your celiac artery and nearby nerves (celiac plexus). Your median arcuate ligament is shaped like an arch and goes around your aorta. Your aorta sends blood from your heart to the rest of your body, and your celiac artery is a major branch of your aorta. Normally, your median arcuate ligament sits above your celiac artery. In MALS, your ligament is lower than usual. When it presses on your celiac artery, the pressure keeps blood from flowing through your celiac artery. It may also put pressure on nearby nerves. When that happens, you develop pain in your upper abdomen that comes on after you eat. The pain may be so intense that you start avoiding food. Other names for MALS are: Celiac artery compression syndrome Celiac axis compression syndrome Dunbar syndrome Symptoms Upper abdominal pain that happens after you eat is the fi...