May-Thurner syndrome presenting as spontaneous left iliac vein rupture

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture and thrombosis in patients with May-Thurner syndrome: A narrative review

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture (SIVR) is extremely rare and can lead to serious complications, including death. Etiologies include inflammatory processes and hormonal and mechanical triggers, with concomitant May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) being a rare cause. Management can be challenging due to the difficult balance between reducing thrombotic burden and life-threatening hemorrhage that can result from aggressive anticoagulation. Furthermore, surgical interventions are associated with high mortality, making conservative management more desirable. We report a case of SIVR with retroperitoneal hematoma and concurrent MTS that was successfully managed using conservative measures. We further provide a narrative review of the current literature addressing the diagnosis, management, and outcome of SIVR focusing on cases with concurrent MTS.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 68 patients with spontaneous iliac vein rupture: A case report and systematic review

Objective

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture (SIVR) is a rare but life-threatening condition with limited understanding regarding its clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, management, and risk factors for mortality. This study aims to address this gap by providing comprehensive insights into SIVR through personal case reports and a systematic review of previous cases.

Methods

We detail a case of right SIVR caused by inappropriate positioning of the stent in the inferior vena cava and systematically reviewed previous cases. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for mortality.

Results

Our SIVR case was successfully managed with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy and covered stent placement. In the systematic review, 68 patients were included in the analysis with an average age of 62.01 ± 13.25 years; 86.76% were female, 91.17% had left iliac vein rupture, 55.88% presented hemodynamic instability, 76.47% had lower abdomen or iliac fossa pain, 67.64% had deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and 32.35% had May‒Thurner syndrome (MTS). The mortality rates of conservative treatment and open surgery were 2.94% and 17.65%, respectively. All 12 patients receiving endovascular treatment survived. The factors associated with a worse outcome were younger age (52.86 ± 12.96 years, OR: 1.085, 95% CI: 1.002-1.174) and SIVR patients without DVT (OR:10.111, 95% CI: 1.637-62.443).

Conclusion

This first systematic review on SIVR shows that SIVR should be highly suspected in elderly females who develop lower extremity DVT and concurrent lower abdominal pain, particularly those with a retroperitoneal mass and unstable hemodynamics. Thrombosis secondary to MTS may be the main cause of SIVR. Angiography and endovascular therapy should be prioritized for DVT patients with unexplained retroperitoneal hematoma. This study classifies SIVR into two types: iliac vein rupture alone and iliac vein rupture with DVT. These findings provide critical insights for clinicians to accurately diagnose and manage SIVR, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Successful Management of Spontaneous Iliac Vein Rupture with Double Bare Stent Technique: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein is a rare cause of retroperitoneal hematoma. A misdiagnosis may delay the treatment and consequently put the patient in a life-threatening emergency. We report the case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with hemorrhagic shock from bleeding caused by a large left retroperitoneal hematoma. She was successfully treated with an endovascular approach by using a double bare stent technique. An extensive review of the literature was conducted and a total 44 articles with 50 patients were identified. Among these patients, 88.2% were women, 94.1% presented with a left-sided rupture, and the mortality rate was 13.7%. Spontaneous iliac vein rupture was more likely to occur in the left side in female patients. Conservative treatment was an option in hemodynamically stable patients. Exploratory laparotomy and surgical iliac vein repair was necessitated in most patients. Endovascular treatment including placement of covered stent and coil embolization had been widely used to treat spontaneous vein rupture since 2003. Double bare stent technique was also an effective alternative if a suitable covered stent was unavailable.

Spontaneous Iliac Vein Ruptures: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture is a rare, but frequently lethal condition. It is important to timely recognize its clinical features and immediately start adequate treatment. We aimed to increase awareness to clinical features, specific diagnostics, and treatment strategies of spontaneous iliac vein rupture by evaluating the current literature.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from inception until January 23, 2023, without any restrictions. Two reviewers independently screened for eligibility and selected studies describing a spontaneous iliac vein rupture. Patient characteristics, clinical features, diagnostics, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes were collected from included studies.

RESULTS

We included 76 cases (64 studies) from the literature, mostly presenting with left-sided spontaneous iliac vein rupture (96.1%). Patients were predominantly female (84.2%), had a mean age of 61 years, and frequently presented with a concomitant deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (84.2%). After various follow-up times, 77.6% of the patients survived, either after conservative, endovascular, or open treatment. Endovenous or hybrid procedures were frequently performed if the diagnose was made before treatment, and almost all survived. Open treatment was common if the venous rupture was missed, for some cases leading to death.

CONCLUSION

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture is rare and easily missed. The diagnose should at least be considered for middle-aged and elderly females presenting with hemorrhagic shock and concomitant left-sided DVT. There are various treatment strategies for spontaneous iliac vein rupture. An early diagnose brings options for endovenous treatment, which seems to have good survival outcomes based on previously described cases.

Mysterious Pelvic Hematoma in a Patient Who Speaks a Rare Ethiopian Dialect: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION

In reporting this case of a patient with spontaneous iliac vein rupture, we highlight the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion of this vascular emergency in the at-risk patient.

CASE REPORT

A 50-year-old female with an uncommon language barrier presented with left lower abdominal pain after falling. Initial imaging showed pelvic hematoma of unclear etiology. Repeat computed tomography showed expanding hematoma, and after hemodynamic decompensation, exploratory laparotomy revealed a ruptured iliac vein.

CONCLUSION

Although rare, spontaneous iliac vein rupture has a high mortality rate, even when identified early. This case serves as a reminder to consider this potentially fatal diagnosis in the at-risk group and highlights the need to remain vigilant in patients who present with unexplained shock. Additionally, this case is a reminder of our duty to provide emergency care that transcends language barriers.

Iliac vein aneurysms associated with May-Thurner anatomy

A 61-year-old woman with May-Thurner anatomy status post recent hysterectomy was found to have two iliac vein aneurysms on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Transfemoral venography showed the venous aneurysms received retrograde flow from the left internal iliac vein and the left common iliac vein (CIV) was compressed by the right common iliac artery. Both aneurysms were coil embolized and a left CIV stent was placed. Our initial experience suggests that iliac vein aneurysms may be caused by CIV compression and an endovascular approach is safe and effective to treat both lesions.

May Thurner syndrome: Sixty years later

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) was described sixty years ago. Once ignored for several years, it is currently a recognized pathology in the vascular surgery community; but not long ago due to several factors, it was underdiagnosed and sub-optimally treated. In the last 20 years, with renewed interest in venous pathology, technical imaging advances and the recent interventional procedures, it has become a better known disease. On the other hand, nowadays the easiness in diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome has lead to overtreatment of such patients. In this article, we do a historical review and describe the significant advances and current management of May-Thurner syndrome.

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture: An uncommon, but frequently lethal, event

Spontaneous rupture of the iliac veins is a distinctly uncommon problem often misdiagnosed as an arterial rupture because of significant retroperitoneal bleeding. It often occurs with acute left-sided deep vein thrombosis and physical activities that exacerbate acute venous hypertension. A significant number of these patients will have anatomy associated with May-Thurner syndrome. Delayed imaging on computed tomography scanning might suggest a venous etiology for a retroperitoneal hematoma rather than arterial bleeding. We found 53 previously reported cases of iliac vein rupture Our report details two additional cases and the treatment options and outcomes.

Successful staged management of a spontaneous iliac vein rupture associated with May-Thurner syndrome: a case report

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous iliac vein ruptures have only been reported in approximately 50 cases. An accurate preoperative diagnosis is difficult even with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and the operative mortality and morbidity rates are quite high. The cause of spontaneous iliac vein ruptures and their optimal diagnosis and management remain unclear.

CASE SUMMARY

A 69-year-old woman without a history of prior trauma presented with low back pain, left lower limb swelling, and hypovolaemic shock. An initial contrast-enhanced CT revealed a large retroperitoneal haematoma without arterial extravasation. Her blood pressure dropped again under a noradrenaline administration. A second venous phase contrast-enhanced CT revealed venous extravasation in the external iliac vein with a suspected compression of the common iliac vein (May-Thurner syndrome) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Her haemodynamics were stabilized whilst a laparotomy was arranged. An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was placed due to concerns about rebleeding with initiating anticoagulation therapy. Given the failed conservative management, elective endovascular treatment (EVT) was performed including percutaneous Fogarty venous thrombectomy and placement of self-expanding and covered stents. After the intervention, the lower limb swelling significantly improved under oral anticoagulation therapy, and the IVC filter was retrieved. At the 3-month follow-up, the lower limb swelling completely disappeared, and the contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated the complete disappearance of the retroperitoneal haematoma and DVT.

DISCUSSION

This case provided not only the potential value of the venous phase contrast-enhanced CT in diagnosing a spontaneous iliac vein rupture but also the potential benefit of conservative management followed by elective EVT.

Successful Endovascular Treatment of a Spontaneous Rupture of the Ascending Lumbar Vein: A Case Report

Although there have been a few case reports of spontaneous rupture of pelvic veins, such as the iliac vein, to date, there have been no reports of spontaneous rupture of the ascending lumbar vein. Here, we report a case of spontaneous rupture of the ascending lumbar vein for the first time. A 66-year-old woman visited the emergency department due to the swelling of the left lower limb for 2 hours. After admission, the patient developed symptoms of pain in the left lumbar region, as well as symptoms of shock, such as increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure. During emergency venography, it was found that the ascending lumbar vein was ruptured, which was accompanied by the compression and occlusion of the iliac vein (May-Thurner syndrome). During the endovascular surgical treatment, a covered stent was placed in the iliac vein, and the occluded common iliac vein was treated with a bare stent. Immediately after the surgical procedure, the patient's abdominal computed tomography examination showed the formation of a large retroperitoneal haematoma, and continuous routine blood parameter monitoring showed that haemoglobin was stable. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the ninth postoperative day.

Endovascular Repair of Spontaneous Iliac Vein Rupture

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture is a relatively rare but fatal disease. Herein, 2 cases are reported. The two middle-aged and elderly females complaining of abdominal pain were admitted without any history of trauma. The computed tomography image both showed one huge hematoma in the lower abdominal cavity and the left external iliac venous thrombus. Venogram showed ruptures of the left external iliac vein and stenosis of the left common iliac vein after percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy. Stent grafts were implanted by endovascular technique. Favorable outcomes were achieved in both cases.

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture in the setting of a long dwelling intravenous vena cava filter

Venous thromboembolism impacts as many as 600,000 individuals each year in the United States, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. While typically treated with anticoagulants, retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters may also be used for acute prevention of pulmonary embolism. The FDA recommends removing IVC filters within 29-54 days because long dwelling filters are associated with serious complications from the filter itself, such as perforation of adjacent structures and filter fracture. We report an unusual case in which a patient had an inferior venous cava filter in place for two years before experiencing spontaneous rupture of the left iliac vein. There was no evidence of filter migration or inferior venous cava perforation. Spontaneous iliac vein ruptures are rare, with fewer than 50 reported cases, and are not typically seen with a long-dwelling IVC. This case describes a unique complication of retrievable filters and highlights the importance of retrieving filters as soon as the acute danger of pulmonary embolism has resolved.

Spontaneous Iliac Vein Rupture Due to May-Thurner Syndrome and Its Staged Management

We present a case of a 58-year-old otherwise healthy women who presented with left lower extremity deep venous thrombosis and was found to have pulmonary embolism along with a ruptured left internal iliac vein. Our patient was hemodynamically stable upon presentation; therefore, a staged approach was undertaken. Initially, an inferior vena cava filter was placed and the patient was slowly advanced to therapeutic anticoagulation and subsequently discharged. She then returned 2 weeks after discharge for venogram, mechanical thrombectomy, and stenting. At 1-year follow-up in clinic, she was found to have patent stents and resolution of symptoms.

[Wünderlich syndrome due to a ruptured iliac vein secondary to deep venous thrombosis]

Wünderlich syndrome, or spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma, secondary to spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein is a rare clinical entity and a medical emergency. Often the aetiology is difficult to identify and different hypotheses have been proposed, such as the presence of hormonal, inflammatory and/or mechanical factors. It may be important to assess the presence of a factor that triggered the deep vein thrombosis and secondary rupture of the iliac vein and retroperitoneal hematoma. We present a case where venous thrombosis could have caused rupture of the iliac vein and we discuss the entity in light of the current literature.

May-Thurner Syndrome Variant Identified in a Cadaver: First Reported Case

May–Thurner syndrome (MTS) is defined as the compression of the left common iliac vein by the right common iliac artery. Herein, we describe an unusual case of a male cadaver with right-sided compression of the inferior vena cava and the left and right common iliac veins by the right common iliac artery. This is an unusual variant of this syndrome and the first known case report. We suggest this variant be termed MTS type II due to the additional compression of the inferior vena cava.

Endovascular management of a case of spontaneous retroperitoneal haematoma complicated with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Spontaneous retroperitoneal haematoma (SRH) can be a life-threatening emergency presenting with hypovolaemic shock. SRH has been rarely reported with May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) where it occurs due to rupture of the iliac vein or venous collaterals. We report a case of MTS that presented with deep venous thrombosis of the left lower limb complicated by bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE) and a large pelvic haematoma. The simultaneous occurrence of a large pelvic haematoma and PE offered a therapeutic challenge. Successful endovascular management of the case is discussed in this report.