Think of May All the Day: A Case Report of May-Thurner Syndrome

BACKGROUND: May-Thurner syndrome occurs when the right common iliac artery compresses the left iliac vein against the fifth lumber vertebrae. The left iliac vein then becomes narrow and scarred. This leads to stasis of blood, predisposing to the formation of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the left iliofemoral vein, which can be recurrent and can cause pulmonary embolism (PE).
CASE REPORT: In this case report, we describe the case of a 37-year-old woman who came for a second opinion about the cause of unprovoked PE and left iliofemoral DVT that she suffered from 2 months earlier. The diagnosis of MTS was made and the patient was referred to a vascular surgeon for further management.
CONCLUSIONS: MTS should be in differential diagnosis of any case of unprovoked PE or left-sided lower limb DVT, especially in young females.

Keywords: May-Thurner Syndrome, Pulmonary Embolism, Venous Thrombosis