Diagnosis of the nutcracker syndrome with color Doppler sonography: correlation with flow patterns on retrograde left renal venography.

Abstract

The nutcracker syndrome can exist in either nondistended or distended left renal veins. However, normal flow also can exist in distended left renal veins. The ability of color Doppler sonography to reveal color flow in collateral veins is useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of the nutcracker syndrome.