Nutcracker and SMA syndromes: What is the normal SMA angle in children
European Journal of Radiology, 08/10/2012
Arthurs OJ et al. – There is a wide range of Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) angle, left renal vein (LRV) and DD in normal children, which correlated weakly with visceral fat volume. Using a definition of SMA angle <25° would diagnose 9.3% of asymptomatic children with nutcracker syndrome, and using a DD definition of <8mm would diagnose 20% with SMA compression. The findings suggest exercising caution when attributing these rare syndromes to an absolute SMA angle.
