Duplicated Inferior Vena Cava: A Case Study With Clinical Implications

The inferior vena cava (IVC) is a large, retroperitoneal vein that ascends anterolaterally along the right side of the vertebral column, draining venous blood from both lower extremities, the pelvis, and the abdomen to the right atrium of the heart. The IVC undergoes complex embryological development during the fourth to eighth weeks of gestation, which can result in many anatomical variations, including duplication of the IVC. This study presents the case of duplicated IVCs in a 79-year-old male donor patient. While the second IVC on the left side of the body generally terminates by draining into the left renal vein, the individual described here demonstrated an extension superior to the renal veins, with the renal and gonadal veins draining into the ipsilateral IVCs. The two IVCs joined at T9 and passed as one into the right atrium at T8. The IVC's role as the largest vein in the body is important to consider when assessing any vascular abnormality present in the IVC and its potential implications, which may include a higher risk of venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism.