Hypoplasia of the Inferior Vena Cava with Azygous Continuation Presenting as Recurrent Leg Deep Vein Thrombosis

Hamoud, Shadi MD
Nitecky, Samy MD
Engel, Ahuva MD
Goldsher, Dorit MD
Hayek, Tony MD

From the Departments of Internal Medicine E (sh, th), Radiology (sn), and Vascular Surgery (ae, dg), Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.

Submitted November 27, 1998; accepted in revised form November 22, 1999.

Correspondence: Tony Hayek, M.D., Dept. Internal Medicine E, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa 31096 Israel.

American Journal of the Medical Sciences 319(6):p 414-416, June 2000.

Azygous continuation of the inferior vena cava is a rare congenital malformation. It occurs because of atresia of the retrohepatic segment of the inferior vena cava. The disorder has been described mainly as an incidental finding associated with a number of congenital malformations, including cardiovascular, tracheobronchial, and other visceral malformations. Therapeutic intervention is aimed primarily at accompanying malformations. We report a case of hypoplasia of the inferior vena cava with azygous continuation in a 30-year-old man who presented with recurrent deep venous thrombosis.