A Case of Spontaneous Rupture of Left External Iliac Vein

Abstract

Iliac vein rupture is a rare cause of retroperitoneal hemorrhage. It is occasionally lethal, with no clear precipitating factors. We report a case of spontaneous left external iliac vein rupture in a 78-year-old woman with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the left iliac vein. Her lower extremity swelling for several days who subsequently developed hemorrhagic shock and had to be taken emergently to surgery. Rupture of the left external iliac veins was identified intraoperatively. We find a 2-cm longitudinal tear on the anterior surface of the vein which was repaired primarily. Anticoagulation therapy has done postoperatively for DVT.