Congenital hypoplasia of the inferior vena cava: an underappreciated cause of deep venous thromboses among young adults.
This report illustrates how newer imaging techniques are identifying vasculopathies as risk factors for deep venous thrombosis (DVT). In this case, a healthy young man presented with a straightforward DVT but without traditional risk factors. Doppler ultrasonography confirmed a proximal clot, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography identified a hypoplastic inferior vena cava (IVC). DVTs cause considerable morbidity and death each year, including approximately 200,000 fatal pulmonary embolisms. Specific treatment of DVTs and long-term management and prevention strategies are contingent on the etiology, which can be determined in approximately 85% of cases. A hypoplastic IVC was discovered during efforts to find the cause of thrombosis, and a Medline search suggests that this anomaly should be considered for young persons with DVTs. DVTs are common and their underlying etiology should be identified to help guide long-term management. Evidence is emerging that an anomalous IVC should be ruled out as a cause of DVT among young patients.
Lane
David A
DA
U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI 02841, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
D000925:Anticoagulants