Copyright © 2011 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
Curry: Sonography, 3rd Edition
Chapter 09: The Inferior Vena Cava
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The IVC can be divided into the following sections:
a. Suprahepatic, infrahepatic, and midhepatic
b. Hepatic, prerenal, renal, and postrenal
c. Hepatic, lumbar, renal, and gonadal
d. All of the above
ANS: B
The IVC is considered to have four sections, from superior to inferior: hepatic,
prerenal, renal, and postrenal.
REF: pg. 161 OBJ: Discuss the normal location and course of the IVC.
TOP: Anatomy and physiology
2. From inferior to superior, identify the veins that converge into the IVC.
a. Common iliac veins, lumbar veins, renal veins, and left and right suprarenal
veins
b. Common iliac veins, lumbar veins, renal veins, right gonadal vein, and hepatic
veins
c. Hepatic veins, renal veins, left and right gonadal veins, and left and right
suprarenal veins
d. External iliac veins, left suprarenal vein, right gonadal vein, renal veins, and
hepatic veins
ANS: B
Inferiorly, the IVC is formed by the common iliac veins. Moving superiorly, the
lumbar veins empty into the IVC, followed by the renal veins, right gonadal vein,
and hepatic veins. The left gonadal vein and left suprarenal vein frequently empty
directly into the left renal vein, not the IVC. The right gonadal vein is slightly
superior to the right renal vein and most often empties directly into the IVC as well.
REF: pg. 162
OBJ: Discuss the major tributaries that feed into the IVC, along with the organs
emptied by these tributaries. TOP: Anatomy and physiology
3. The inferior phrenic veins are located
a. at the same level as the hepatic veins.
b. superior to the hepatic veins.
c. inferior to the hepatic veins.