Incidental Heterotaxy Syndrome With Polysplenia and Inferior Vena Cava Agenesis Identified During Trauma Evaluation
This case report describes a young adult male in his 20s who was admitted following a high-speed motor vehicle collision resulting in polytrauma, including a femoral shaft fracture. Initial computed tomography performed for polytrauma incidentally revealed heterotaxy syndrome with polysplenia; agenesis of the inferior vena cava with hemiazygos continuation; and intestinal malrotation. Orthopedic management proceeded uneventfully. This case highlights several important learning points: inferior vena cava agenesis is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, necessitating heightened awareness and appropriate thromboprophylaxis in trauma and perioperative settings; associated venous anomalies should be clearly documented to inform future procedural planning and patient safety; and asymptomatic intestinal malrotation identified in adulthood can often be managed conservatively with surveillance rather than intervention.
Authors
- Hend Alahmed
- Labib S Al Ozaibi
- Zahra Saeed Ahmed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3712-5125)
- Shamma Abdallah
- Fatemeh Akbarpoor
Institutions
- Dubai Health Authority (AE)
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (AE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2026-02-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.104094
- Primary Topic
- Vascular anomalies and interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00