AUTHOR=Zhang Yan , Ding Zheng , Mu Teng , Pan Xue , Zhang Guoqing , Li Xiangnan TITLE=Case Report: Esophagectomy and Azygos Continuation of the Inferior Vena Cava: A Lethal Combination JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine VOLUME=9 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.780646 DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2022.780646 ISSN=2297-055X ABSTRACT=

Azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare in the general population and even rarer among patients with esophageal carcinoma. In 90% of cases, this congenital IVC variant is isolated and does not affect the patient’s growth or development. However, thoracic surgery such as esophagectomy would be fatal if the flow through this connection was interrupted. We present a case of minimally invasive esophagectomy in a patient with azygos continuation of the IVC.