Spontaneous rupture of the inferior vena cava: case report and literature review

Spontaneous rupture of the inferior vena cava is a rare clinical entity: Di agnosis of this condition, in the absence of any relevant history, is usual ly made at laparotomy. Only one such case has previously been reported in t he literature. We report a case of spontaneous rupture of the inferior vena cava which was diagnosed following laparotomy for hypovolaemia and acute a bdominal pain. This case highlights the fact that spontaneous rupture of th e inferior vena cava may be a cause of massive intra-abdominal bleeding not associated with trauma or rupture of the abdominal aorta.