Clinical and Radiological Observations of Inferior Vena Caval Obstruction

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Abstract
Ascites, edema of legs, and superficial dilated abdominal veins in three African patients, one male and two females, were demonstrated by venography to be due to obstruction of the inferior vena cava. A feature in one case was the presence of unilateral superficial venous collaterals, venography showing that the deeper lumbar vessels acted as the main venous drainage on the opposite side. In the two female cases, pelvic sepsis was the probable cause of thrombosis; in the third case, the male, tuberculous lymph nodes predisposing to the thrombophlebitis in the adjacent vessel was probably responsible. A survey of the literature is given, and it is suggested that venography, found to be a harmless procedure, be employed more frequently.