Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava: An uncommon cause of inferior vena caval obstruction

Venous leiomyosarcomas are rare neoplasms usually afflicting the inferior vena cava. They usually present with abdominal pain, and an abdominal mass with features of IVC obstruction. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential, because radical surgery offers the only hope of prolonged survival. Imaging combined with guided biopsies forms the mainstay of reliable presurgical diagnosis. We describe a 48-year-old woman with leiomyosarcoma of the hepatic segment of the IVC, who presented with features of IVC obstruction. The imaging features of the tumor are described with a review of the current literature.