Choked Vein: Unusual Etiology of Extensive Deep Vein Thrombosis

Abstract

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a commonly encountered diagnosis in clinical practice with a variety of established risk factors. Inferior vena cava atresia (IVCA) is a rare vascular anomaly, but an established risk factor, associated with DVT, found in approximately 5% of cases of unprovoked lower extremity DVT in young adults. Patients who develop DVT are at high risk of long-term complications, including DVT recurrence and post-thrombotic syndrome. Thirty percent of inferior vena cava (IVC) anomalies are associated with hypercoagulable conditions in the younger population, Therefore, a hypercoagulable workup is beneficial in this population. We report a rare case of a 31-year-old male who presented with an extensive DVT of bilateral lower extremities secondary to IVC atresia. The treatment of choice for IVC atresia associated with extensive DVT is catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), endovascular IVC reconstruction with nitinol stent, and long-term anticoagulation.