Vena occlusive disease simulated by a metastasis of gastric cancer during pregnancy

A 20-year-old woman was treated because of her complaint and symptoms which were thought to be the results or complication of her pregnancy. Based on the cardinal symptom inferior cavography was carried out, and the diagnosis of occlusion of inferior vena cava was established. The woman was treated accordingly but died after a short period. The patient's family supposed neglection and therapeutic misadventure and raised an objection to the medical treatment. Forensic autopsy was carried out to clear up the case. Autopsy showed her basic disease to be gastric cancer with several metastases in the liver. One of them was in the lobus caudatus Spigeli and compressed the inferior vena cava. The compression caused a turbulence in the given contrast material so that thrombosis was suggested. The diagnosis was based on this misleading sign. Negligence was not verified.