Abstract
We encountered a rare case of an anatomic variant of inferior vena cava (IVC) duplication with renal, ovarian and iliac vein variation in an 81-year-old Japanese female cadaver during a student dissection course of anatomy at Aichi Gakuin University School of Dentistry. The two IVCs ran upwards bilaterally to the abdominal aorta. The left IVC joined with the left renal vein (RV) to form a common trunk that crossed anterior to the aorta and ended at the right IVC. We detected a vein [interiliac vein (IiV)] connecting the two IVCs at the level of the aortic bifurcation. The IiV was formed by the union of two tributaries from the left IVC and a tributary from the left internal iliac vein (IIV) and ran obliquely upwards from left to right. Two right ovarian veins, arising separately from the ipsilateral pampiniform plexus, ran vertically in parallel to each other, and each one independently terminated at the right IVC and the right RV. Two right IIVs, connecting each other with small branches, ascended and separately joined the right external iliac vein. The right and left IIVs were connected to each other. These variations cause abnormal drainage, which could lead to clinical symptoms associated with the dysfunction of the vascular and urogenital systems. Here we describe the detailed anatomical features of the area and discuss the related anatomical and developmental aspects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmetoglu A, Cansu A (2012) Duplication of the inferior vena cava with azygos continuation, retroaortic left renal vein and iliac vein variations. Bratisl Lek Listy 113:448–450
Asala S, Chaudhary SC, Masumbuko-Kahamba N, Bidmos M (2001) Anatomical variations in the human testicular blood vessels. Ann Anat 183:545–549
Babaian RJ, Johnson DE (1979) Major venous anomalies complicating retroperitoneal surgery. South Med J 72:1254–1258
Bass JE, Redwine MD, Kramer LA, Huynh PT, Harris JH Jr (2000) Spectrum of congenital anomalies of the inferior vena cava: cross-sectional imaging findings. Radiographics 20:639–652
Bergman RA, Thompson SA, Afifi AK (1984) Catalog of human variation. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Baltimore
Chen H, Emura S, Nagasaki S, Kubo KY (2012) Double inferior vena cava with interiliac vein: a case report and literature review. Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn 88:147–151
Chong GO, Lee YH, Hong DG, Cho YL, Lee YS (2015) Anatomical variations of the internal iliac veins in the presacral area: clinical implications during sacral colpopepxy or extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Clin Anat 28:661–664
Favorito LA, Costa WS, Sampaio FJ (2007) Applied anatomic study of testicular veins in adult cadavers and in human fetuses. Int Braz J Urol 33:176–180
Gupta R, Gupta A, Aggarwal N (2015) Variations of gonadal veins: embryological prospective and clinical significance. J Clin Diagn Res 9:AC08–AC10
Hayashi S, Naito M, Hirai S, Terayama H, Miyaki T, Itoh M, Fukuzawa Y, Nakano T (2013) Proposal for a new classification of variations in the iliac venous system based on internal iliac veins: a case series and a review of double and left inferior vena cava. Anat Sci Int 88:183–188
Itoh M, Moriyama H, Tokunaga Y, Miyamoto K, Nagata W, Satriotomo I, Shimada K, Takeuchi Y (2001) Embryological consideration of drainage of the left testicular vein into the ipsilateral renal vein: analysis of cases of a double inferior vena cava. Int J Androl 24:142–152
Moore KL, Persaud TVN (2003) Before we are born. Essentials of embryology and birth defects, 6th edn. WB Saunders, Philadelphia
Morita S, Higuchi M, Saito N, Mitsuhashi N (2007) Pelvic venous variations in patients with congenital inferior vena cava anomalies: classification with computed tomography. Acta Radiol 48:974–979
Natsis K, Apostolidis S, Noussios G, Papathanasiou E, Kyriazidou A, Vyzas V (2010) Duplication of the inferior vena cava: anatomy, embryology and classification proposal. Anat Sci Int 85:56–60
Rudloff U, Holmes RJ, Prem JT, Faust GR, Moldwin R, Siegel D (2006) Mesoaortic compression of the left renal vein (nutcracker syndrome): case reports and review of the literature. Ann Vasc Surg 20:120–129
Xue H-G, Yang C-Y, Asakawa M, Tanuma K, Ozawa H (2007) Duplication of the inferior vena cava associated with other variations. Anat Sci Int 82:121–125
Acknowledgements
We thank our undergraduate students, attenders and our colleagues who greatly assisted in the research from Department of Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University. We also thank Dr. Yasushi Uematsu and Dr. Daisuke Kiyoshima for helpful comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ito, T., Ikeda, Y. A case of double inferior vena cava with renal, ovarian and iliac vein variation. Anat Sci Int 93, 139–143 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-017-0397-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-017-0397-7