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. 2025 Jun;20(2):442-447.
doi: 10.26574/maedica.2025.20.2.442.

A Rare Anatomical Venous Variant in the Lower Extremity

Margarita Toumanidou  1 , Stamatis Karakatsanis  2 , Elias Kotteas  2 , Anastasios Kollias  2 , Nikolaos Liasis  2 , Theodoros Mariolis-Sapsakos  3   4   5 , Dimitrios Filippou  6 , Theodoros Troupis  6 , Evangelos Dimakakos  1   7
Affiliations

A Rare Anatomical Venous Variant in the Lower Extremity

Margarita Toumanidou et al. Maedica (Bucur). 2025 Jun.

Abstract

We describe a rare venous anatomical variant identified in a 68-year-old male with lung cancer and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Color duplex ultrasonography revealed direct drainage of the popliteal vein into the common femoral vein, with absence of the superficial femoral vein. This previously undescribed variation may have contributed to thrombogenesis in the hypercoagulable setting of malignancy. Recognition of such variants is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of DVT.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Normal appearance of the proximal common femoral vein on ultrasound
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Duplex ultrasound examination of the lower limb venous system
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Color duplex ultrasound demonstrating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the deep femoral vein (DFV) and the popliteal vein (POPV)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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