Inguinal pain and fullness due to an intravascular leiomyoma in the external iliac vein

Abstract

Intravascular leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a benign smooth muscle tumor that evolves from the pelvic veins and can spread to the central veins and heart. Cardiac involvement is the most commonly reported presentation. Initial diagnosis is difficult, and IVL is commonly misdiagnosed as thrombus or atrial myxoma. Appropriate imaging and a high clinical suspicion are required for accurate diagnosis. We report a rare case of IVL in the external iliac vein that recurred 4 years after hysterectomy. Only four cases have been reported in the literature to involve the external iliac vein as it has no direct connection to pelvic venous drainage.