[Post-traumatic vena cava thrombosis].

BACKGROUND

Post-traumatic thrombotic events are exceptional in the caval system. We report a case of inferior vena cava thrombosis in a traffic accident victim.

CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old male victim of a traffic accident suffered multiple trauma including blunt trauma of the abdomen. Three months after the accident, the patient was hospitalized with signs of pulmonary embolism proven by angiopneumography. Phlebocavography evidenced a thrombus floating in the inferior vena cava.

DISCUSSION: We found 9 other cases of caval thrombus secondary to abdominal trauma in the literature. Tht thrombus usually developed due to endothelial damage secondary to shear forces. Computed tomography of the abdomen with contrast injection contributes greatly to diagnosis. Treatment is a matter of debate due to the prognosis dominated by the risk of massive embolism.