Variant anatomy of the iliac veins and presence of two venous rings around the arteries in the pelvis.

Abstract

Internal iliac vein drains the pelvic viscera, gluteal region, and the perineal region. Knowledge of its variations is of importance to radiologists, gynecologists, and orthopedic surgeons. We found one of the rare variations of the internal iliac vein during our cadaveric dissections. The right internal iliac vein had anterior and posterior trunks. The anterior trunk joined the external iliac vein to form the common iliac vein. The posterior trunk terminated into the common iliac vein. There was a broad communication between anterior and posterior trunks. Further, there were two venous rings formed by the tributaries of the internal iliac veins. One of them surrounded the superior gluteal artery and the other surrounded the internal pudendal and inferior gluteal arteries. Here, we discuss the clinical importance of the case.