Forty five patients with inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis were studied with the use of ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT).
Thirty seven cases were cased by tumor extension and the primary neoplasms were hepatocellular Ca. (26cases), renal cell Ca. (6 cases), Wilms' tumor (1 case), IVC leiomyosarcoma (1 case) and retroperitoneal metastatic tumor (3 cases). Non-tumor
thrombus
were 8 cases which included 5 cases of Budd-Chiari syndrome and 3 cases of thrombophlebitis.
US and CT both were good for the diagnosis of IVC thrombosis. Cranial extension was better demonstrated by US whereas CT yielded better delineation of the lower extension.
Even though, differentiation of tumor non-tumor thrombi by the echogenecity and density of the thrombus was not possible, the finkdings of adjacent tumor mass, complete obstructive thrombus within dilated lumen with bulging wall, and nontapered
acute
margin of thrombus made the possibility of tumor thrombus more likely.
|