Anatomy
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Abdomen
You are reviewing an abdominal x-ray of a patient with an inferior vena cava filter. The inferior vena cava leaves the abdomen passing through the diaphragm at which of the following vertebral levels:
Answer:
The inferior vena cava ascends through the posterior abdominal region anterior to the vertebral column immediately to the right of the abdominal aorta, and continues superiorly, leaving the abdomen by piercing the diaphragm at the level of vertebra T8.Inferior Vena Cava
Anatomy / Abdomen / Posterior Abdominal Wall
Last Updated: 11th April 2019
The inferior vena cava returns blood from all structures below the diaphragm to the right atrium of the heart.
It is formed from the union of the two common iliac veins at the level of vertebra L5, just to the right of the midline.
Relations
It ascends through the posterior abdominal region anterior to the vertebral column immediately to the right of the abdominal aorta, and continues superiorly, leaving the abdomen by piercing the diaphragm at the level of vertebra T8.
![By Henry Vandyke Carter [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://mrcemsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IVC.png)
Relations of the Inferior Vena Cava. (Image by Henry Vandyke Carter [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Tributaries
Tributaries to the inferior vena cava include the:
- common iliac veins
- lumbar veins
- gonadal vein (right)
- renal veins
- suprarenal vein (right)
- inferior phrenic veins
- hepatic veins.
There are no tributaries from the abdominal part of the gastrointestinal tract, the spleen, the pancreas or the gallbladder, because veins from these structures are components of the portal venous system, which first pass through the liver.
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- Biochemistry
- Blood Gases
- Haematology
| Biochemistry | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| Sodium | 135 – 145 mmol/l |
| Potassium | 3.0 – 4.5 mmol/l |
| Urea | 2.5 – 7.5 mmol/l |
| Glucose | 3.5 – 5.0 mmol/l |
| Creatinine | 35 – 135 μmol/l |
| Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) | 5 – 35 U/l |
| Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) | < 65 U/l |
| Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | 30 – 135 U/l |
| Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) | < 40 U/l |
| Total Protein | 60 – 80 g/l |
| Albumin | 35 – 50 g/l |
| Globulin | 2.4 – 3.5 g/dl |
| Amylase | < 70 U/l |
| Total Bilirubin | 3 – 17 μmol/l |
| Calcium | 2.1 – 2.5 mmol/l |
| Chloride | 95 – 105 mmol/l |
| Phosphate | 0.8 – 1.4 mmol/l |
| Haematology | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| Haemoglobin | 11.5 – 16.6 g/dl |
| White Blood Cells | 4.0 – 11.0 x 109/l |
| Platelets | 150 – 450 x 109/l |
| MCV | 80 – 96 fl |
| MCHC | 32 – 36 g/dl |
| Neutrophils | 2.0 – 7.5 x 109/l |
| Lymphocytes | 1.5 – 4.0 x 109/l |
| Monocytes | 0.3 – 1.0 x 109/l |
| Eosinophils | 0.1 – 0.5 x 109/l |
| Basophils | < 0.2 x 109/l |
| Reticulocytes | < 2% |
| Haematocrit | 0.35 – 0.49 |
| Red Cell Distribution Width | 11 – 15% |
| Blood Gases | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| pH | 7.35 – 7.45 |
| pO2 | 11 – 14 kPa |
| pCO2 | 4.5 – 6.0 kPa |
| Base Excess | -2 – +2 mmol/l |
| Bicarbonate | 24 – 30 mmol/l |
| Lactate | < 2 mmol/l |
