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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
06:59
Image Acquisition Method for the Sonographic Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava
Published on: January 13, 2023
Pelvic varicosities and inferior vena cava
Tiki Bakhshi1, Angela M Glaser, Joan M Mastrobattista
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Tiki.Bakhshi@uth.tmc.edu
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|August 2, 2007
Summary
Women with congenital heart disease may have large pelvic varicosities. Despite risks, a vaginal delivery can be safely achieved in these pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Congenital heart disease can present with complex vascular anomalies.
- Inferior vena cava (IVC) anomalies are rare but significant during pregnancy.
- Pelvic varicosities can pose risks during gestation and delivery.
Observation:
- A pregnant patient with a history of hemitruncus repair presented with significant pelvic varicosities.
- Transvaginal ultrasonography and MRI confirmed the extensive pelvic varicosities.
- The patient had mildly depressed protein S activity and a methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase mutation.
Findings:
- The patient had an absence of the inferior vena cava below the renal veins.
- Despite the presence of large pelvic varicosities and thrombotic risk factors, the pregnancy was managed successfully.
- A spontaneous vaginal delivery was achieved without major hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications.
Implications:
- Large pelvic varicosities in pregnant women, particularly those with congenital heart disease, require careful management.
- Vaginal delivery is a feasible option for select patients with pelvic varicosities and IVC anomalies.
- This case highlights the importance of comprehensive vascular assessment in pregnant women with complex medical histories.
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