Duplicated inferior vena cava in a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm

The incidence of duplication of inferior vena cava ranges between 0.5 and 2.2% according to published reports. A patient with intermittent claudication and angiographic findings of a stenosis of the left common iliac artery was selected for operation. At exploration an aortic aneurysm below the renal arteries was diagnosed and a duplication of the inferior vena cava was found. Resection of the aortic aneurysm could be performed between the two branches of the inferior vena cava. The significance of the anomaly at exploration of the major abdominal vessels is here pointed out.