Blunt Abdominal Trauma Leading to an Incidental Finding of Duplicate Inferior Vena Cava (DIVC): A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Patient: Male, 36-year-old Final Diagnosis: Double inferior vena cava Symptoms: Asymptomatic Medication:— Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Genetics • Radiology • Surgery Objective: Congenital defects/diseases Background: With a prevalence of about 2% to 3%, duplication is the most common anomaly associated with the inferior vena cava (IVC). In general, systemic venous anomalies are being more frequently diagnosed in asymptomatic patients. We report the case of a young man with an incidental finding of an asymptomatic duplicated IVC, along with a literature review. Case Report: A 36-year-old man was brought to our Emergency Department (ED) following a high-speed motor vehicle collision (MVC), reporting right flank and hip pain. Upon examination, the “seatbelt sign” was noticed, along with abrasions over his right side. He sustained a small-bowel mesenteric injury, for which he was admitted and was treated conservatively. A CT scan incidentally revealed a duplicate IVC (DIVC). He later underwent a laparotomy with limited right hemi-colectomy and was discharged home in good condition. Conclusions: Undiscovered and asymptomatic DIVCs pose a potential risk to patients during clinical interventions. Advancements in diagnostic imaging contribute greatly to the incidental discoveries of inferior vena cava duplication.