Right internal iliac vein joining the left common iliac vein: case report demonstrated by CT angiography

• Published in: Surgical and radiologic anatomy (English ed.) Vol. 25; no. 3-4; pp. 339 - 341
• Main Authors: OTO, A, AKPINAR, E, SÜRÜCÜ, H. S, DENK, C. C, CELIK, H. H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-08-2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anatomy & physiology; Angiography - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels; Case studies; Humans; Iliac Vein - abnormalities; Iliac Vein - diagnostic imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Vascular surgery: aorta, extremities, vena cava. Surgery of the lymphatic vessels; Human; Left; Radiodiagnosis; Angiography; Anatomical variation; Right; Male; Common iliac vein; Anatomy; Case study; Relation; Surgery; Internal iliac vein; Medical imagery; Computerized axial tomography; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0930-1038; 1279-8517
• DOI: 10.1007/s00276-003-0123-0

An unusual variation of the iliac veins was detected by computed tomography (CT) angiography in a 35-year-old man. In coronal CT reconstructions, it was shown that the right internal iliac vein of this patient crossed to the left side and drained to the left common iliac vein. This variation is important in retroperitoneal, laparoscopic and orthopedic surgery. We present the CT findings and discuss the embryological origin of this unusual congenital anomaly.