Inferior vena cava
Updates to Article Attributes
The inferior vena cava (IVC) drains venous blood from the lower trunk, abdomen, pelvis and lower limbs to the right atrium of the heart.
Gross anatomy
The IVC is formed by the confluence of the two common iliac veins at the L5 vertebral level. The IVC has a retroperitoneal course within the abdominal cavity. It runs along the right side of the vertebral column with the aorta lying laterally on the left. Various other veins drain into the IVC along its course before it passes through the diaphragm at the caval hiatus at the T8 level. It has a short intra-thoracic course before draining into the right atrium.
Tributaries
- T8: paired inferior phrenic veins
- T8: hepatic veins (3)
- L1: right suprarenal vein
- L1: renal veins
- L2: right gonadal vein
- L1-L5: lumbar veins
- L5: common iliac veins (origin)
Since the IVC is not a midline structure, there is a degree of asymmetry of drainage, e.g. the gonadal and suprarenal veins drain into the IVC on the right side, but into the left renal vein on the left.
Development
Normal IVC has a complex embryological development with many embryological veins contributing to different parts :
- right
vittelinevitelline vein: formssupra-hepaticsuprahepatic and hepatic segments of IVC - right subcardinal vein: forms
supra-renalsuprarenal segment - right subsupracardinal anastomosis: forms renal segment
- right supracardinal vein: forms infrarenal segment
- right posterior cardinal vein: forms distal most IVC and its bifurcation into common iliac veins
Variant anatomy
Inferior caval abnormalities are typically the result of abnormal embryologic development involving the vitelline, posterior cardinal, subcardinal and supracardinal veins 3.:
-
Absenceabsence of IVC (entire or only the infrarenal segment) - IVC duplication
- azygos continuation of the IVC
- left sided IVC
- circumcaval ureter
- circumaortic venous collar
- IVC webs
- extrahepatic portocaval shunt
(Abernathy(Abernethy malformation)
Rarely an Eustachian valve at the IVA/RA junction may be present.
-<li>right vitteline vein: forms supra-hepatic and hepatic segments of IVC</li>-<li>right subcardinal vein: forms supra-renal segment</li>- +<li>right vitelline vein: forms suprahepatic and hepatic segments of IVC</li>
- +<li>right subcardinal vein: forms suprarenal segment</li>
-</ul><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><p>Inferior <a href="/articles/caval-variants-1">caval abnormalities</a> are typically the result of abnormal embryologic development involving the vitelline, posterior cardinal, subcardinal and supracardinal veins <sup> 3</sup>.</p><ul>-<li>Absence of IVC (entire or only the infrarenal segment)</li>- +</ul><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><p>Inferior <a href="/articles/caval-variants-1">caval abnormalities</a> are typically the result of abnormal embryologic development involving the vitelline, posterior cardinal, subcardinal and supracardinal veins <sup> 3</sup>:</p><ul>
- +<li>absence of IVC (entire or only the infrarenal segment)</li>
-<li>extrahepatic portocaval shunt (Abernathy malformation)</li>- +<li>extrahepatic portocaval shunt (<a title="Abernethy malformation" href="/articles/abernethy-malformation">Abernethy malformation</a>)</li>
References changed:
- 3. Smillie RP, Shetty M, Boyer AC et-al. Imaging evaluation of the inferior vena cava. Radiographics. 2015;35 (2): 578-92. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1148/rg.352140136">doi:10.1148/rg.352140136</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763740">Pubmed citation</a><span class="auto"></span>
- 3.Smillie RP, Shetty M, Boyer AC et-al. Imaging evaluation of the inferior vena cava. Radiographics. 2015;35 (2): 578-92. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1148/rg.352140136">doi:10.1148/rg.352140136</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763740">Pubmed citation</a><span class="auto"></span>
Tags changed:
- rg_35_2_edit