THE term "varicose veins" customarily suggests, immediately, and almost exclusively, abnormal dilatations and tortuosities of the saphenous veins of the lower extremity. If one then stops to ...

Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD The inferior vena cava (also known as IVC or the posterior vena cava) is a large vein that carries oxygen-depleted blood from the torso and lower body to ...