Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (Mar 2022)

Case Report: Esophagectomy and Azygos Continuation of the Inferior Vena Cava: A Lethal Combination

  • Yan Zhang,
  • Zheng Ding,
  • Teng Mu,
  • Xue Pan,
  • Guoqing Zhang,
  • Xiangnan Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.780646
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare in the general population and even rarer among patients with esophageal carcinoma. In 90% of cases, this congenital IVC variant is isolated and does not affect the patient’s growth or development. However, thoracic surgery such as esophagectomy would be fatal if the flow through this connection was interrupted. We present a case of minimally invasive esophagectomy in a patient with azygos continuation of the IVC.

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