Endovascular Treatment for Iliac Vein Compression Syndrome: a Comparison between the Presence and Absence of Secondary Thrombosis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the value of early identification and endovascular treatment of iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS), with or without deep vein thrombosis (DVT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Three groups of patients, IVCS without DVT (group 1, n = 39), IVCS with fresh thrombosis (group 2, n = 52) and IVCS with non-fresh thrombosis (group 3, n = 34) were detected by Doppler ultrasonography, magnetic resonance venography, computed tomography or venography. The fresh venous thrombosis were treated by aspiration and thrombectomy, whereas the iliac vein compression per se were treated with a self-expandable stent. In cases with fresh thrombus, the inferior vena cava filter was inserted before the thrombosis suction, mechanical thrombus ablation, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, stenting or transcatheter thrombolysis. RESULTS Stenting was performed in 111 patients (38 of 39 group 1 patients and 73 of 86 group 2 or 3 patients). The stenting was tried in one of group 1 and in three of group 2 or 3 patients only to fail. The initial patency rates were 95% (group 1), 89% (group 2) and 65% (group 3), respectively and were significantly different (p = 0.001). Further, the six month patency rates were 93% (group 1), 83% (group 2) and 50% (group 3), respectively, and were similarly significantly different (p = 0.001). Both the initial and six month patency rates in the IVCS patients (without thrombosis or with fresh thrombosis), were significantly greater than the patency rates of IVCS patients with non-fresh thrombosis. CONCLUSION From the cases examined, the study suggests that endovascular treatment of IVCS, with or without thrombosis, is effective.