[Occlusion of the inferior vena cava--a rare, but severe disease picture, easily diagnosed with ultrasound].

Vena cava inferior thrombosis can occur in many disease patterns. In the literature the vena cava inferior thrombosis is described in several case reports. Thrombosis of the vena cava inferior often leads to pulmonary embolism and influences the prognostic and therapeutic way definitively. This is important in the case of a real thrombus and also for "thrombotic tumorous material", which is not differentiated in the literature. Even if the pattern of a vena cava inferior thrombosis is very rare (in our patients 1%), early and safe diagnosis is very important. Abdominal ultrasound supplies a definitive clue to the diagnosis. The high diagnostic ranking in comparison to other imaging techniques is discussed. This is a definitive imaging technique which influences the therapeutic concept and prognosis.