Nutcracker Syndrome: A Cause of Hematuria and Low Back Pain in Young Patients.

Nutcracker syndrome is a clinical condition in which there is compression of the left renal vein in its path between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. This phenomenon can cause abdominal or low back pain and hematuria. It is a rare clinical entity, although probably underdiagnosed. The diagnosis is essentially clinical and based on imaging, but necessarily a diagnosis of exclusion. We present the case of a 21-year-old boy who came to the Emergency Department with hematuria and low back pain. After exhaustive study and exclusion of other possible clinical entities, the diagnosis was confirmed to be nutcracker syndrome. Despite its usually benign expression, this entity should not be forgotten in the diagnostic process of cases of hematuria and low back pain, especially in young patients.

The anatomical compartments and their connections as demonstrated by ectopic air.

Air/gas outside the aero-digestive tract is abnormal; depending on its location, it is usually called emphysema, referring to trapped air/gas in tissues, or ectopic air/gas. It can be associated to a wide range of disorders, and although it usually is an innocuous condition, it should prompt a search for the underlying aetiology, since some of its causes impose an urgent treatment. In rare instances, it may itself represent a life-threatening condition, depending on the site involved and how quickly it evolves. Abnormal air/gas beyond viscera and serosal spaces, reaches its location following some anatomic boundaries, such as fascia, which may help search the source; however if the air pressure exceeds the strength of the tissues, or the time between the aggression and the imaging is too long, the air/gas is almost everywhere, which may hinder its cause. Good knowledge of the anatomic spaces and how they connect between them facilitates the quick detection of the cause. Teaching points • Ectopic air can be depicted on conventional radiographs; but CT is more sensitive and accurate • Visceral and retropharyngeal spaces directly communicate with mediastinum • Renal fascia is a single multilaminated structure, which contains potential space.