Persistent left inferior vena cava

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Overview

 * A left inferior vena cava results from regression of the right supracardinal vein with persistence of the left supracardinal vein.
 * The prevalence is 0.2%–0.5%
 * The major clinical significance of this anomaly is the potential for misdiagnoses as left sided paraaortic lymphadenopathy.
 * Spontaneous rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm into a left inferior vena cava has been reported.
 * Transjugular access to the infrarenal inferior vena cava for placement of an inferior vena cava filter may be difficult.
 * Typically, the left inferior vena cava joins the left renal vein, which crosses anterior to the aorta in the normal fashion, uniting with the right renal vein to form a normal right sided prerenal inferior vena cava.

Additional Reading

 * Moss and Adams' Heart Disease in Infants, Children, and Adolescents Hugh D. Allen, Arthur J. Moss, David J. Driscoll, Forrest H. Adams, Timothy F. Feltes, Robert E. Shaddy, 2007 ISBN 0781786843