Lessons learned from a 6-year clinical experience with superior vena cava Greenfield filters

PURPOSE

Therapy to prevent pulmonary embolism (PE) resulting from upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) remains controversial despite an increasing incidence of DVT of upper extremity origin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of 72 superior vena cava Greenfield filters (SVC-GFs) placed in patients at risk for PE arising from UEDVT.

METHODS

During the past 78 months, we placed SVC-GFs in 72 patients with UEDVT in whom anticoagulation was either deemed contraindicated (n = 67) or proved ineffective in preventing recurrent PE (n = 4) or extension of the thrombus (n = 1). There were 25 male (35%) and 47 (65%) female patients whose ages ranged from 25 to 99 years (mean, 74 years). Follow-up ranged from 10 days to 78 months (mean, 7.8 months). Sequential chest radiographs revealed no filter migration or displacement in 26 patients.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients died in the hospital of causes unrelated to the SVC filter or recurrent thromboembolism (mean time to death, 20 days). Follow-up of the surviving 38 patients ranged from 1 month to 78 months (mean, 22 months); none of these patients were seen with any evidence of PE. One SVC-GF was incorrectly discharged into the innominate vein and left in place. This vein remains patent 2 months after insertion without evidence of filter migration.

CONCLUSIONS

We think that insertion of SVC-GFs is a safe, efficacious, and feasible therapy and may prevent recurrent thromboembolism in patients with UEDVT who are resistant to anticoagulation or have contraindications to anticoagulation.

Superior vena cava syndrome due to permanent transvenous pacemaker electrodes: successful treatment with combined thrombolysis and angioplasty--a case report

Superior vena cava syndrome is a rare complication of permanent transvenous pacing electrodes. Multiple treatment options are available, namely thrombolytics, venoplasty, stenting, surgery, and combinations of the above, yet initially the optimal approach is uncertain. Whether plain balloon angioplasty provides durable and satisfactory long-term results is equally uncertain. The authors report a patient treated with a combination of local thrombolytic therapy and balloon venoplasty with good long-term outcome at two years of follow-up.

Helical CT angiography and three-dimensional reconstruction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connections in neonates and infants

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of helical CT angiography in the evaluation of total anomalous pulmonary venous connections.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous connections underwent helical CT angiography and subsequent three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. They ranged in age from 3 days to 8 months (median age, 2.3 months) and in weight from 2.3 to 7.1 kg (median weight, 4.3 kg). The types of total anomalous pulmonary venous connections and the number of pulmonary veins were evaluated on axial and 3D images. Qualitative evaluations were performed for extent of pulmonary vascular enhancement and contrast- or motion-induced artifacts.

RESULTS

In all patients, helical CT angiography correctly depicted total anomalous pulmonary venous connections. Seven cases were the supracardiac type, four cases were the cardiac type, one case was the infracardiac type, and two cases were the mixed type. The detection rate of the pulmonary vein in 3D reconstruction images (95-98%) was slightly lower than that of the pulmonary vein in the axial images (100%), but the difference between axial and 3D reconstruction images was not statistically significant (p > 0.1). No statistically significant differences were noted among 3D reconstruction images in the detection rates of the pulmonary vein (p > 0.1). The extent of contrast enhancement of the pulmonary vein was good or excellent in all patients. In five patients, there were contrast-induced artifacts that made some surrounding vascular distortion but did not interfere with the pulmonary vein analysis, except in one patient. Motion-induced artifacts were observed in nine patients. One of them had an obstacle in pulmonary vein analysis.

CONCLUSION

The combination of axial and 3D images in helical CT angiography is helpful in the assessment of a total anomalous pulmonary venous connection containing the individual pulmonary vein, and this combination can be a good diagnostic tool in preoperative evaluation of neonates and infants with a total anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Axillary vein thrombosis secondary to congenital stricture in a left-sided superior vena cava

We describe a case of axillary vein thrombosis secondary to unusual venous anatomy. A patient with a strictured left-sided superior vena cava and axillary vein thrombosis was successfully treated with thrombolysis. The underlying stricture was treated with angioplasty and stenting.

Fluoroscopic landmark for SVC-RA junction for central venous catheter placement in children

BACKGROUND

Vascular access devices are commonly placed under image guidance. The usual aim is to place the tip at the superior vena cava-right atrial junction (SVC-RA).

OBJECTIVE

To identify a radiographic landmark for the SVC-RA junction that would be useful for accurate central venous catheter tip placement in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Images from 56 children undergoing contrast studies of their upper limb venous systems were examined for location of the SVC-RA in relation to a radiographic landmark.

RESULTS

Most patients (92.5%) showed the SVC-RA junction to lie at the sixth thoracic vertebral level or the interspace above or below. The SVC-RA junction lay lower than the right main bronchus and the notch on the right cardiomediastinal contour.

CONCLUSION

The vertebral body provides a useful and radiographically visible landmark for accurate central catheter tip placement.

Abnormal pattern of flow in the superior caval vein in children after open heart surgery

To investigate the pattern of flow in the superior caval vein in children after open heart surgery, we examined the flow velocity curves in 37 patients who had undergone surgical correction of either ventricular or atrial septal defects. The control group consisted of 64 age-matched children. We used pulsed Doppler examinations to record the velocity curves. We measured the highest and lowest peak flow velocities during systole and diastole, and calculated ratios for the various measurements. We found that the velocity of the wave in systole is lower than that of the wave in diastole in the postoperative patients, which is contrary to the normal pattern. The velocity in systole increases more than that in diastole during inspiration, which is also different from the normal pattern. The change in pattern of flow velocity curve during respiration was smaller in patients after surgery than in normal subjects, which might indicate that there is less reserve ability in the right atrium in postoperative patients.

Implantation of a cardiac resynchronization system for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava using an experimental lead for left ventricular stimulation

A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) was discovered at the implantation of a cardiac resynchronization system in a woman with an idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Standard leads were used to obtain right ventricular and right atrial (RA) stimulation according to a formerly described technique. The left ventricle was stimulated through the posterolateral vein of the heart by a novel lead design to be used over a guidewire for placement. Despite expected difficulties in this anatomic situation, the research lead was positioned in 23 minutes.

Coronary artery fistula into a persistent left superior vena cava: report of a case

We herein report the rare case of a patient with coronary artery fistula (CAF) between the left circumflex coronary artery and persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) with a complete absence of the right superior vena cava (SVC).

Balloon-expandable stent placement for superior vena cava-right atrial stenosis after heart transplantation

Anastomotic Stenoses are well known as a complication of vascular and cardiovascular surgical procedures; such a lesion was encountered at the superior vena cava-right atrial anastomosis after cardiac transplantation. A balloon expandable stent was used to relieve this anastomotic constriction, employing a 16 mm diameter balloon to deliver a P304 stent. Stent placement resulted in complete relief of the patient's symptoms and facilitated the passage of bioptomes through the superior vena cava for subsequent biopsy procedures following cardiac transplantation.

Treatment of deep vein thrombosis using temporary vena caval filters after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients have risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) including venous stasis caused by immobilization in the sterile unit, vessel wall damage caused by preparative regimen or indwelling catheters, and hypercoagulability caused by decreased natural anticoagulants. We successfully treated a patient who developed massive DVT in the superior vena cava after BMT with anticoagulation and the use of temporary vena caval filters. Considering the delayed complications, permanent filter is not appropriate for BMT recipients, because the risk factors for DVT associated with BMT are transient. We considered that temporary vena caval filter is a safe and useful device to prevent pulmonary embolism after DVT in BMT recipients.

[Agenesis of the left lung in combination with a persistent left superior vena cava and al cor triatriatum sinister in a 77 year old man]

We report the case of a 77 year old man, who was hospitalized in the final stadium of his congenital disease. Following a pneumonia in the right lung the respirator therapy was needed. Later the patient died by a chronic right heart failure.

Superior vena cava flow in newborn infants: a novel marker of systemic blood flow

BACKGROUND

Ventricular outputs cannot be used to assess systemic blood flow in preterm infants because they are confounded by shunts through the ductus arteriosus and atrial septum. However, flow measurements in the superior vena cava (SVC) can assess blood returning from the upper body and brain.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a Doppler echocardiographic technique that measures blood flow in the SVC, to test its reproducibility, and to establish normal ranges.

DESIGN

SVC flow was assessed together with right ventricular output and atrial or ductal shunting. Normal range was established in 14 infants born after 36 weeks' gestation (2 measurements taken in the first 48 hours) and 25 uncomplicated infants born before 30 weeks (4 measurements taken in the first 48 hours). Intra-observer and interobserver variability were tested in 20 preterm infants.

RESULTS

In 14 infants born after 36 weeks, median SVC flow rose from 76 ml/kg/min on day 1 to 93 ml/kg/min on day 2; in 25 uncomplicated very preterm infants, it rose from 62 ml/kg/min at 5 hours to 86 ml/kg/min at 48 hours. The lowest SVC flow for the preterm babies rose from 30 ml/kg/min at 5 hours to 46 ml/kg/min by 48 hours. Median intra-observer and interobserver variability were 8. 1% and 14%, respectively. In preterm babies with a closed duct, SVC flow was a mean of 37% of left ventricular output and the two measures correlated significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

This technique can assess blood flow from the upper body, including the brain, in the crucial early postnatal period, and might allow more accurate assessment of the status of systemic blood flow and response to treatment.

Low superior vena cava flow and intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm infants

OBJECTIVES

To document the incidence, timing, degree, and associations of systemic hypoperfusion in the preterm infant and to explore the temporal relation between low systemic blood flow and the development of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH).

STUDY DESIGN

126 babies born before 30 weeks' gestation (mean 27 weeks, mean body weight 991 g) were studied with Doppler echocardiography and cerebral ultrasound at 5, 12, 24, and 48 hours of age. Superior vena cava (SVC) flow was assessed by Doppler echocardiography as the primary measure of systemic blood flow returning from the upper body and brain. Other measures included colour Doppler diameters of ductal and atrial shunts, as well as Doppler assessment of shunt direction and velocity, and right and left ventricular outputs. Upper body vascular resistance was calculated from mean blood pressure and SVC flow.

RESULTS

SVC flow below the range recorded in well preterm babies was common in the first 24 hours (48 (38%) babies), becoming significantly less common by 48 hours (6 (5%) babies). These low flows were significantly associated with lower gestation, higher upper body vascular resistance, larger diameter ductal shunts, and higher mean airway pressure. Babies whose mothers had received antihypertensives had significantly higher SVC flow during the first 24 hours. Early IVH was already present in 9 babies at 5 hours of age. Normal SVC flows were seen in these babies except in 3 with IVH, which later extended, who all had SVC flow below the normal range at 5 and/or 12 hours. Eight of these 9 babies were delivered vaginally. Late IVH developed in 18 babies. 13 of 14 babies with grade 2 to 4 IVH had SVC flow below the normal range before development of an IVH. Two of 4 babies with grade 1 IVH also had SVC flow below the normal range before developing IVH, and the other 2 had SVC flow in the low normal range. In all, IVH was first seen after the SVC flow had improved, and the grade of IVH related significantly to the severity and duration of low SVC flow. The 9 babies who had SVC flow below the normal range and did not develop IVH or periventricular leucomalacia were considerably more mature (median gestation 28 v 25 weeks).

CONCLUSIONS

Low SVC flow may result from an immature myocardium struggling to adapt to increased extrauterine vascular resistances. Critically low flow occurs when this is compounded by high mean airway pressure and large ductal shunts out of the systemic circulation. Late IVH is strongly associated with these low flow states and occurs as perfusion improves.

Echocardiographic characterization of a rare type of coronary artery fistula draining into superior vena cava

We describe an incidental finding of a rare type of anomalous coronary artery originating from the right coronary sinus of Valsalva and draining into the superior vena cava. This was suspected on transthoracic echocardiography but was further clarified with the use of coronary angiography and transesophageal echocardiography. Echocardiography was a major tool for delineating the origin of the fistula, its complicated course, and the drainage site.

Use of a bow tie stent occluder for transcatheter closure of a large anomalous vein

Percutaneous occlusion of superfluous vascular connections, which are short and have large caliber, is technically difficult. We report use of a composite device (consisting of a Palmaz stent, a Gianturco Grifka vascular occlusion device, and multiple platinum detachable embolization coils) to close a large left superior vena cava draining to the pulmonary venous atrium.

Persistent left superior vena cava: case report and literature review

A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common thoracic venous anomaly. It is a persistent remnant of a vessel that is present as a counterpart of normal right-sided superior vena cava (SVC) in early embryological development but normally disappears later. Although it can be easily diagnosed by the characteristic chest radiographic appearance of a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) passed through it after being inserted into the left subclavian or jugular vein, its diagnosis is usually missed by the presence of normal (right) SVC and the passage of the catheter on the right side. Its diagnosis can be confirmed by many noninvasive and invasive tests, or it is incidentally diagnosed at thoracic surgery or autopsy. If it is not associated with other congenital cardiac anomalies, it is usually asymptomatic and hemodynamically insignificant. However, PLSVC has important clinical implications in certain situations. In this article, we describe a patient with bilateral SVC (a normal right SVC and a PLSVC) identified by a PAC in the PLSVC and the pacemaker wires in the right SVC. In addition, we review the literature on prevalence, embryological development, diagnosis, and clinical implications of PLSVC.

[CT-xray demonstration of a vertical vein]

Congenital anomalies of the thoracic veins are infrequent but important developmental disorders. Anomalies of the systemic thoracic veins usually are asymptomatic but may be associated with other more serious cardiovascular abnormalities and complicate their management. We present a case of a vertical vein consisting in an abnormal venous drainage from the left upper pulmonary lobe to the superior vena cava, resulting in a non cyanotic shunt.

Superior vena cava stenting

Treatment of SVC obstruction with metallic stents is a rewarding procedure. The patients have symptoms that are severe and debilitating and cause significant impairment of life-style. Stent placement rapidly alleviates the symptoms of SVC syndrome and improves the patient's quality of life. The long-term patency rates have not been established; however, in patients with SVC syndrome secondary to malignant disease, stents usually remain patent for the lifetime of the patient. Recurrences can be treated with further interventional radiographic techniques. Currently, because the long-term patency rates of SVC stents are not known, most interventional radiologists tend to treat SVC stenosis from benign causes with balloon angioplasty before placing metallic stents.

Occlusion of azygos vein via direct percutaneous puncture of innominate vein following cavopulmonary anastomosis

A 2-year-10-month-old boy was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart disease: right atrial isomerism, left superior vena cava (LSVC), complete atrioventricular septal defect, secundum type atrial septal defect, transposition of the great arteries with pulmonary atresia, patent ductus arteriosus, absence of a right superior vena cava (RSVC), and dextrocardia. He had received a left Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt at the age of 3 months and a left bidirectional Glenn shunt one year after BT shunt. Progressive cyanosis was noted after the second operation and cardiac catheterization showed a functional Glenn shunt with an engorged azygos vein, which was inadvertently skipped for ligation. Because of the absence of RSVC, transcatheter occlusion of the azygos vein was performed successfully via direct puncture of the innominate vein.

[Diagnosis of a cardiac mass--a case report]

The authors describe a case of a recidivant pericardial effusion associated to a mass with an unusual, filamentous aspect that involved the upper part of right atrium and surrounded the upper vena cava. Despite the diagnostic techniques employed--transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, the etiologic diagnosis could not be done, so a biopsy of the mass was made by percutaneous approach using transesophageal echocardiography to control the procedure. The histopathological result was an angiosarcoma of the right atrium. The authors make a brief review of the literature about this rare condition.