U J - Spring 2012.pdf


456 | Pictorial  Urology

Endourology and Stone Services, 
Barts and the London NHS Trust, 

London, UK

*E-mail: junaido@aol.com

A -went an abdominal computed tomography showing atresia of the infra-hepatic segment of the 
Inferior vena cava malformations are thought to occur embryologically or secondary to a thrombotic 
event, and are present in 0.3% to 0.5% of healthy individuals,  but are often associated with severe 
congenital heart diseases, asplenia, or polysplenia syndromes.  There remains some controversy over 
whether an absent or partially absent IVC is a true embryonic anomaly or occurs as a result of peri-natal 
IVC thrombosis.
The IVC has a complex embryogenesis, but is fundamentally formed from the anastomoses of three 
parallel longitudinal paired embryonic veins; posterior cardinal, subcardinal, and supracardinal veins.
Pelvic varicosities occur where there is hemodynamic disruption in the IVC, iliac, or left renal veins. In 

pelvic varicosities.
Bladder varices are a rare, but important cause of hematuria and should be considered in the differential 
diagnoses of an otherwise asymptomatic patient presenting in this way. 

Chandran Tanabalan , Athanasios G Papatsoris, Junaid Masood* 

Absent Inferior Vena Cava With Resulting Bladder Varices
A Rare Cause of Frank Hematuria

REFERENCES
1. Kondo Y, Koizumi J, Nishibe M, Muto A, Dardik A, Nishibe T. Deep venous thrombosis caused 

2. Bass JE, Redwine MD, Kramer LA, Huynh PT, Harris JH, Jr. Spectrum of congenital anomalies of 

3. Ramanathan T, Hughes TM, Richardson AJ. Perinatal inferior vena cava thrombosis and ab-

Pictorial  Urology