Pseudotumor Mimicking a Mass within the Inferior Vena Cava.

A 68-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) before surgery for pelvic organ prolapse revealed a mass within the inferior vena cava (IVC) (Picture 1). She had no symptoms, such as dyspnea or chest discomfort, and had no history of thoracoabdominal trauma. Coronal reconstruction of the CT images revealed a herniation of abdominal viscera fat (25 mm) into the right chest cavity (Picture 2). We finally diagnosed the patient with a hernia of the diaphragmatic caval foramen and decided that surgical treatment was unnecessary because she had no symptoms and an echocardiogram demonstrated no functional abnormality. When encountering a patient with a mass within the IVC, a hernia of the diaphragmatic caval foramen, although rare, should be considered. If the patient presents with symptoms or if an echocardiogram demonstrates a functional abnormality, surgical repair via the transabdominal approach should be considered (1).

Picture 1.

Picture 2.

The authors state that they have no Conflict of Interest (COI).