Anterior and posterior nutcracker syndrome accompanying left circumaortic renal vein in an adolescent. Case report

Abstract

The left renal vein (LRV) has many developmental variations; the two most common are the circumaortic and the retrocaval. Anterior nutcracker syndrome is the compression of the LRV between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery, whereas posterior nutcracker syndrome occurs between the vertebral column and the aorta. An adolescent male (aged 16 years) was referred to the emergency department for flank pain. CT findings showed the combination of anterior and posterior nutcracker syndrome in the left circumaortic renal vein, which has not previously been described in an adolescent.