title: Duplication of the inferior vena cava: anatomy, embryology and classification proposal.
abstract: A case of a duplicated inferior vena cava (IVC) along with other anatomical vessel variations in a 72-year-old male cadaver is presented. The anomalous vessels involved, besides the IVC, were the left testicular vein and artery, the left suprarenal artery and a superior accessory left renal artery. Based on the gross appearance of the preaortic anastomotic trunk between the left and right IVC as well as on the underlying embryological features, a classification is proposed: incomplete bilateral duplication of the IVC and complete bilateral duplication of the IVC. The latter can be further divided into three types: major, minor and asymmetric.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. natsis@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsis
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apostolidis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noussios
authors.forename: Efthymia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papathanasiou
authors.forename: Aggela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kyriazidou
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vyzas