title: Inferior vena cava dissection following blunt abdominal trauma.
abstract: Dissection of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare, with only a few published reports in the literature. It is usually associated with blunt abdominal injury or iatrogenic injury from a catheter manipulation. Venous dissections are rare due to lack of well-developed layers in the walls (intima, media and adventitia), low pressure in the venous system, and the absence of atherosclerotic changes. However, IVC dissection is associated with a high mortality rate due to the difficulty in diagnosis, technically difficult surgical repair, and associated solid organ injuries. We report a case of IVC dissection from a low-speed motor vehicle collision and discuss its imaging features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 357115, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. svaidya@uw.edu
authors.forename: Sandeep S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: Puneet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhargava
authors.forename: Carrie P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Marder
authors.forename: Manjiri K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dighe
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult