Varices of inferior epigastric veins caused by chronic inferior vena cava obstruction: mimicking normal venous flow pattern on radionuclide venography.
A 21-year-old patient with long-standing inferior vena cava obstruction secondary to idiopathic thrombosis extending from the external iliac veins underwent a radionuclide venography with Tc-99m pertechnetate labeled erythrocytes. The blood pool phase of the study revealed bilaterally distorted inferior epigastric veins mimicking normal venous flow pattern. The authors present this case to discuss the possible alternative routes and the underlying physiopathologic mechanism of this unusual flow pattern in chronic inferior vena cava obstruction.
Karacalioglu
Ozgur
O
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy and School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. aokaracali@yahoo.com
Sonmez
Alper
A
Ilgan
Seyfettin
S
Soylu
Kenan
K
Emer
Ozdes
O
Ozguven
Mehmet
M
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology