Efficacy of Preoperative Computed Tomography for Diagnosing Major Anomalies of the Inferior Vena Cava Associated with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract

Anomalies of the inferior vena cava are rare but clinically important entities encountered during aortic surgery. Among 92 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm, two inferior vana caval anomalies, including one case of left-sided inferior vena cava (IVC) and one case of duplicated IVC, were found. Computed tomography with contrast medium showed the presence of inferior vena caval anomalies associated with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Preoperative diagnosis of such inferior vena caval anomalies may reduce the risk of hazardous venous injury. Therefore, computed tomography is useful for routine examination before aortic surgery.