title: Primary leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava invading the right atrium: a technique for intraluminal biopsy through a transvenous approach.
abstract: Leiomyosarcoma of inferior vena cava (IVC) is a very rare tumor constituting less than 1% of all malignant tumors. However, it is the most common malignant primary IVC tumor. We report a case of primary leiomyosarcoma involving the entire IVC and extending into the right atrium. We also describe a simple endovascular technique that can be used to biopsy IVC masses through a transvenous approach. Our technique can be used as an alternative to percutaneous biopsy which carries a risk of bleeding when transgressing the IVC wall with a biopsy needle. To our knowledge, the use of this technique to biopsy IVC masses has not been described in literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA. akamel@uabmc.edu
authors.forename: Ahmed Kamel
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abdel-Aal
authors.forename: Santhosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaddikeri
authors.forename: Souheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saddekni
authors.forename: Rachel F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Oser
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Underwood
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor