Twenty-year analysis of the rarely diagnosed nutcracker syndrome

Abstract

Aim: Nutcracker syndrome is a very rare cause in patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain. Early consideration in differential diagnosis will reduce the time spent for diagnosis and morbidity, as well as provide the correct treatment. We aimed to contribute to the literature by determining the clinical relations of these cases with laboratory, imaging and treatment data. Material and Method: Twenty-seven patients over the age of 16 who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain between January 2000 and December 2020 were included in this study. The ages of the patients were between 16-39 and the mean was 25.19±7.00 years. Demographic characteristics, clinical findings, laboratory parameters, radiological evaluations, and treatment modalities of patients were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Abdominal pain and flank pain were the most common reasons for admission to the emergency department of 27 patients included in the study. In the anterior group, 17 (77%) patients had flank pain, 10 (45%) patients had dysmenorrhea, 11 (50%) hematuria, 10 (45%) proteinuria, and 9 (40%) patients hematuria and proteinuria. In the posterior group, there was no hematuria, proteinuria, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, and oral intolerance. In cases with anteior nutcracker syndrome, 12 (54%) doppler ultrasonography, 13 (59%) computed tomography, 5 (22%) magnetic resonance imaging were performed. Conservative treatment was applied to 11 (40%) patients in the anterior group and 3 (11%) patients in the posterior group. Endovascular surgery was performed on 5 (22%) female patients. Conclusion: Nutcracker syndrome should be investigated in adult patients who present to the emergency department with abdominal pain and whose diagnosis is unclear. Early diagnosis is critical in terms of treatment and morbidity.