A 62-year-old woman was admitted because of prolonged jaundice. After examination of contrast enhanced computed tomography images, she was diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome due to a short obstruction of the hepatic portion of the inferior vena cava. She received endovascular angioplasty using a catheter with a balloon 14 mm in diameter. After balloon dilatation angioplasty of the obstructed inferior vena cava, favourable antegrade blood flow was restored. Then, oral warfarin therapy was started to prevent restenosis by thrombus formation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images taken four months after treatment revealed no restenosis of the inferior vena cava. This report is significant because it presents an effective and minimally invasive strategy for treating Budd-Chiari syndrome. Balloon dilatation angioplasty should be considered as the first choice of treatment if an obstruction is short and located in the major trunk of the hepatic vein or inferior vena cava.