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Published on: November 22, 2024
Absence of right common iliac vein causing suprapubic and scrotal varices in a young athletic man
Saad Balamane1, Peter Brown2, David Zelt2
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
A young man with painful abdominal and scrotal varices had a rare congenital condition: an atretic right common iliac vein. This venous anomaly created a critical collateral pathway for his right leg.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Vascular Medicine
- Medical Case Reports
Background:
- Varices and varicoceles can present with significant patient discomfort and diagnostic challenges.
- Deep venous system anomalies are uncommon but critical considerations in venous disease diagnosis.
Observation:
- A 26-year-old male presented with persistent, exercise-exacerbated painful abdominal varices and bilateral scrotal varicoceles.
- Investigations revealed a congenital atresia of the right common iliac vein.
- Right-to-left collateralization of the femoral and internal iliac veins was identified, forming a crucial venous outflow pathway.
Findings:
- The venous shunting created suprapubic, pelvic, and gonadal varicosities.
- These varicosities served as an essential collateral circulation for the right lower extremity.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering congenital deep venous anomalies in the differential diagnosis of venous diseases.
- Heightened vigilance is crucial for managing this patient, particularly concerning future abdominal and urologic procedures.
- Recognizing such anomalies is vital for preventing complications and ensuring appropriate patient care.
Abstract:
We have described the case of a 26-year-old man who had presented to his primary care physician with persistent, painful varices across his lower abdomen and bilateral tender scrotal varicoceles, which intensified with exercise. Thorough investigations revealed a congenitally atretic right common iliac vein with right-to-left collateralization of the femoral and internal iliac veins. This shunting resulted in the development of suprapubic and pelvic and gonadal varicosities, which provided a critical venous outflow pathway for his right lower extremity. Heightened vigilance is, hence, paramount if our patient requires future abdominal and urologic procedures. Moreover, the present case has highlighted the importance of considering deep system venous anomalies when determining the differential diagnosis for venous diseases.
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