Left Sided Inferior Vena Cava: A Case Report
Kimaporn Khamanarong MD*, Worawut Woraputtaporn MSc*, Supawadee Teerakul MSc*, Parichat Prachaney PhD*, Pattama Amarttayakong MSc*
Affiliation : * Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Objective : To report a case of left sided inferior vena cava (IVC).
Material and Method: The authors carried out the standard dissection survey of 939 embalmed cadavers between 1974 and
2008.
Results : The authors encountered a case of left sided IVC in a male donated cadaver aged 65 years at decease. The IVC
formed behind the left common iliac artery at the L5 vertebra and coursed proximally on the left of the aorta until it reached
the left renal vein and then crossed anterior to the abdominal aorta to assume the normal right side. At the point of crossing,
it received the left renal vein. The right renal vein emptied into the IVC on the right side.
Conclusion : In the era of laparoscopic urological surgery, preoperative diagnosis of this uncommon but important entity is
essential to prevent unwarranted surgical mishaps.
Keywords : Left sided inferior vena cava, Common iliac vein
