Double inferior vena cava

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Overview

 * Duplication of the IVC results from persistence of both supracardinal veins.
 * The prevalence is 0.2%–3%.
 * Double IVC should be suspected in cases of recurrent pulmonary embolism following placement of an IVC filter.
 * As with left IVC, misdiagnosis of the aberrant vessel as lymphadenopathy should be avoided.

Diagnosis

 * The left IVC typically ends at the left renal vein, which crosses anterior to the aorta in the normal fashion to join the right IVC. However, there may be variations in this arrangement.
 * There may be significant asymmetry in the sizes of the left and right veins.

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