Familiar Disposition of May–Thurner Syndrome—A Case Series

Abstract

May–Thurner syndrome is a venous compression syndrome of the pelvic vessels that represents a relevant risk factor for thrombus formation. The standard procedure to secure a diagnosis is venography, followed by endovascular therapy as the preferred treatment choice if the patient is symptomatic. In our case series, there are three related patients with May–Thurner syndrome. A 16-year-old female was admitted with pulmonary embolism, dyspnoea and hip pain. The compression syndrome was diagnosed with interventional venography, and the patient received venous stent implantation. Due to her family history, we also suspected her mother to be affected by the syndrome and elucidated the diagnosis shortly afterwards by invasive venography. Subsequently, we examined the patient’s 19-year-old brother, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed May–Thurner syndrome. A similar case series has not been published before. In this case, the family relation indicates a possible hereditary aspect of May–Thurner syndrome. This hypothesis should be the subject of further research. In conclusion, it is essential to assess family history thoroughly when treating patients with May–Thurner syndrome.