CT angiography findings in left common iliac vein compression among asymptomatic patients.

Objective:To study the incidence rate and clinical significance of left common iliac vein compression among asymtomatic patients by using CT angiography.Methods: one hundred and thirty cases without signs of lower extremity diseases were evaluated with multi-slice helical abdominal CT angiography.Using multiplanar reformation technique,the anteroposterior diameter and area of bilateral common iliac veins were mesured in orthogonal cross-sectional planes at the point where the right common iliac artery crossed.The data were examined using t test and F test.Results: In the orthogonal cross-sectional planes,the mean compression extent on anteroposterior diameter of left common iliac veins was 33.97 %±2.01 %,on area of left common iliac veins was 9.98 %±1.49 %.The mean compression extent on anteroposterior diameter of left common iliac veins exceeded the extent on area obviously(t=9.586,P=0.000).Statistically,the mean compression extent on area of left common iliac veins was 9.98 %.The extent of greater than 25 % of compression on left common iliac vein was found in 16.92 %(n=22) of the patients,and 3.85 %(n=5) of the patients revealed the extent of compression of greater than 50 %,4 of which were female.Conclusion: Based on the abdominal CT angiography,in asymptomatic individuals there were few patients revealing more than 50 % extent of left common iliac veins.Left common iliac vein compression has no statistically significant age and gender differences.