Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava

The thirty-second case of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava and the twelfth resectable patient in the series is presented. A review of the literature demonstrates a marked female preponderance (5 to 1). The most common presenting symptom is right abdominal pain and a palpable mass. The different surgical problems generated by the involved segment of the cava are discussed. Noteworthy is the high incidence of Budd-Chiari syndrome owing to hepatic vein obstruction with involvement of the upper third of the cava in the postmortem cases. An argument is developed for debulking the tumor for palliation when it is not completely removable.