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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Ultrasonographic diagnosis of iliac vein compression (May-Thurner) syndrome
Levent Oğuzkurt1, Uğur Ozkan, Fahri Tercan
1Department of Radiology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey. loguzkurt@yahoo.com
Iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS), also known as May-Thurner syndrome, is the result of compression of the left common iliac vein between the right common iliac artery and overlying vertebrae. The most common clinical presentation is left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. Rarely, a patient with IVCS can present with obstruction of venous outflow, without deep vein thrombosis. Iliac vein compression, with or without thrombosis, should be treated if symptomatic. We present a patient with IVCS that was initially diagnosed with transabdominal ultrasonography (US), and then confirmed with computed tomography and venography with pressure measurements. We believe this is the first report of an IVCS patient diagnosed with US.
Iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS), also known as May-Thurner syndrome, is the result of compression of the left common iliac vein between the right common iliac artery and overlying vertebrae. The most common clinical presentation is left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. Rarely, a patient with IVCS can present with obstruction of venous outflow, without deep vein thrombosis. Iliac vein compression, with or without thrombosis, should be treated if symptomatic. We present a patient with IVCS that was initially diagnosed with transabdominal ultrasonography (US), and then confirmed with computed tomography and venography with pressure measurements. We believe this is the first report of an IVCS patient diagnosed with US.
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