Endovascular treatment of iliocaval occlusion due to idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis

Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare cause of venous occlusion that is mainly treated conservatively or surgically. However, endovascular techniques can be proposed for its treatment. We report here a case of a 64-year-old man who was admitted for bilateral lower limb swelling due to iliocaval occlusion caused by idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. Due to high anesthetic risk, related mainly to congestive heart failure, the patient was treated percutaneously by balloon angioplasty and stenting instead of receiving surgical treatment. Clinical and radiological results were excellent, both early and in midterm, confirming that endovascular techniques constitute an interesting alternative to surgery, especially in fragile patients.