Nutcracker syndrome: diagnosis with Doppler US.
OBJECTIVE
To assess diagnosis of the nutcracker (renal vein entrapment) syndrome with Doppler ultrasonography (US).


METHODS
Doppler US findings in 16 patients with the nutcracker syndrome and in 18 healthy control subjects were compared. The anteroposterior (AP) diameter and peak velocity (PV) were measured at the hilar portion of the left renal vein (LRV) and at the LRV between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery.


RESULTS
The mean AP diameters of the LRV were 10.0 mm +/- 2.0 (standard deviation) and 1.9 mm +/- 1.0 (ratio, 5.0 +/- 2.3) in the patient group and 7.2 mm +/- 1.8 and 2.3 mm +/- 0.6 (ratio, 3.3 +/- 1.1) in the control group. The PVs at the two locations were 14.2 cm/sec +/- 2.5 and 110.7 cm/sec +/- 35.8 (ratio, 7.9 +/- 2.7) in the patient group and 18.6 cm/sec +/- 3.7 and 50.9 cm/sec +/- 27.9 (ratio, 2.8 +/- 1.5) in the control group. Differences in AP diameter and PV were statistically significant between the two groups (P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Doppler US of the LRV with measurement of the AP diameter and PV may be useful in diagnosing the nutcracker syndrome.
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea.
S H
SH
Kim
S W
SW
Cho
H D
HD
Kim
J W
JW
Chung
J H
JH
Park
M C
MC
Han
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013577:Syndrome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler