Nutcracker syndrome
The nutcracker syndrome (NCS) results most commonly from the compression of the left renal vein (LRV) between the abdominal aorta (AA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), although other variants exist. The name derives from the fact that, in the sagittal plane and/or transverse plane, the SMA and AA (with some imagination) appear to be a nutcracker crushing a nut (the renal vein).
| Nutcracker syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Nutcracker phenomenon, renal vein entrapment syndrome, mesoaortic compression of the left renal vein |
| The nutcracker syndrome results from compression of the left renal vein between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. | |
There is a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and diagnostic criteria are not well defined, which frequently results in delayed or incorrect diagnosis. The first clinical report of Nutcracker phenomenon appeared in 1950.
This condition is not to be confused with superior mesenteric artery syndrome, which is the compression of the third portion of the duodenum by the SMA and the AA.