Late recurrence is a known characteristic of the biological behavior of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following radical nephrectomy. However, the development of recurrent inferior vena cava (IVC) tumors following radical nephrectomy for RCC is a rare event, and surgical resection of recurrent IVC tumors is a challenge for urologists. The present study reports the case of a patient with a local recurrent tumor in the IVC following a right radical nephrectomy 4 years previously for RCC. The patient was referred to the Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, due to bilateral lower extremity edema, and magnetic resonance imaging showed an intraluminal tumor thrombus in the IVC. Therefore, a thrombectomy and partial IVC resection with defect reconstruction were performed successfully. The results of follow-up for 72 months showed that there were no signs of recurrence as local or distant metastasis. This case of local recurrence in the IVC highlights that active long-term surveillance for RCC patients of all stages is important for the early diagnosis of tumor recurrence, which improves the potential resectability.
Keywords: inferior vena cava; radical nephrectomy; recurrence; renal cell carcinoma.