Common Internal Iliac Vein Joining Inferior Vena Cava—a Rare Anatomical Variation: Anatomic and Surgical Relevance

Common Internal Iliac Vein Joining Inferior Vena Cava—a Rare Anatomical Variation: Anatomic and Surgical Relevance:

Abstract

An unusual anatomical variation of the internal iliac veins (IIV) was found in a 26-year-old lady who was undergoing retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for a recurrent ovarian cancer. Intraoperatively the right and left internal iliac veins were converging to form a common trunk which was draining into the inferior vena cava along with the right and left external iliac veins. These anomalies result from the persistence of the embryonic inferior branch of the cardinal vein. Prior knowledge of these variations facilitates the safe performance of retroperitoneal, pelvic, and laparoscopic surgeries and also vascular interventional procedures involving these areas.