Double Inferior Vena Cava: a Rare but Important Anatomical Variation

Address for Correspondence: Dr. Zhou Yaw Loo, Department of Surgery, Box Hill Hospital, Nelson Road, Melbourne, VIC 3128, Australia. Phone: +614 3033 5733. E-Mail: [email protected] Access this Article online Quick Response code Web site: *1 MBChB, PG Dip Surg Anat, 2 B Med Sci, MBBS, PG Dip Surg Anat. 1 & 2 Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Background: Congenital variations of the inferior vena cava are uncommon and are usually detected radiologically or at post-mortem. The present study describes two cases of double inferior vena cava, one encountered at routine anatomical dissection of a female cadaver and the other an incidental finding of a similar variation on pre-operative CT scan. The presence of such venous variations may lead to radiological misdiagnosis, inadvertent ligation during retroperitoneal surgery and has important implications for thromboembolic disease.