Recurring hematuria revealing absence of infrarenal segment of the inferior vena cava.

Abnormal development of the inferior vena cava is a relatively rare condition. We report the case of a 47-year-old woman presenting with an absent infrarenal segment of the inferior vena cava revealed by recurring episodes of gross hematuria. This entity probably resulted from perinatal acquired thrombosis rather than from a congenital anomaly and is associated with compensatory dilation of collateral venous pathways. This extremely rare hemorrhagic presentation is presumably caused by rupture of small dilated renal or vesical veins. Ignorance of this atypical presentation can lead to erroneous or delayed diagnoses.

Radiation protection: Factors influencing compliance to referral guidelines in minor chest trauma.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that referral guidelines are not sufficiently known by prescribers and that medico-legal concerns could influence the prescription of radiographs in minor chest trauma. METHODS: We submitted a questionnaire including a typical clinical history and questions on reasons for prescribing radiographs of the ribs in minor chest trauma to 112 prescriptors (33 residents, 18 surgeons, 7 internists, 24 general practitioners and 30 ER physicians). All accepted to participate. Comparisons were performed by Fisher's exact test followed by a post-hoc analysis and by a McNemar test. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of prescriptors proposed rib radiographs, most (89%) being unaware of the guidelines. Only 11% of them changed their intention to order radiographs after information on referral guidelines and radiation dose (P=0.057). The mean dose delivered by rib radiographs was 38 times higher than that of a chest X-ray. Legal and medico-legal concerns (requirements from insurance policies and avoidance of lawsuits) were the main reasons for requesting radiographs. CONCLUSION: Unsharpness of guidelines in addition to social and medico-legal issues, rather than medical reasons or the lack of knowledge of the guidelines, strongly influence the prescription of radiographs of the ribs in minor chest trauma. KEY POINTS: • Most prescriptors order radiographs of the ribs in minor chest trauma. • Only few prescriptors are aware of referral guidelines. • Information on guidelines does not change their need for radiographs. • Motivations for ordering radiographs are rather legal than medical, but poor compliance to guidelines could also be explained by their unsharpness. • Radiation dose of rib radiographs was 38 times that of a PA chest radiograph.