Inferior vena cava (IVC)

The inferior vena cava is a large, retroperitoneal vein that collects deoxygenated blood from the lower half of the body—including the lower limbs, pelvis, and abdomen—and delivers it to the right atrium of the heart[1][4][6]. It is formed by the confluence of the right and left common iliac veins at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, ascends on the right side of the vertebral column, and enters the right atrium through the diaphragm[1][3][5]. The IVC is the largest vein in the human body and essential for venous return from the lower body. Clinical issues related to the IVC include thrombosis, compression by tumors or the uterus, and trauma, but it is not a molecular, cellular, or protein therapeutic target—it is a macroscopic anatomical structure[1][4][6].

Other names

Posterior vena cava