Detection of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection by magnetic resonance imaging

Isolated Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Veins: A 10-Year Experience at a Single Center

INTRODUCTION

Isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) is difficult to diagnose, and surgical indications remain controversial. We reviewed 10 y of isolated PAPVC cases.

METHODS

The data of patients with isolated PAPVC admitted to the Anzhen Congenital Heart Disease Department from 2010 to 2019 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Thirty patients, aged between 4 mo and 32 y, were included in this study. Significant correlations were found between the right ventricle (RV), end-diastolic dimension Z-score (RVED-z) and age (r = 0.398, P = 0.03), and between estimated pulmonary pressure and age (r = 0.423, P = 0.02). However, no significant correlations were found between the RVED-z and the number of anomalous pulmonary veins (r = 0.347, P = 0.061), between estimated pulmonary pressure and the RVED-z (r = 0.218, P = 0.248), and between estimated pulmonary pressure and the number of anomalous veins (r = 0.225, P = 0.232). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) confirmed 90% of isolated PAPVC cases. Surgical repair was performed in 29 patients with RV enlargement, persistent low weight, pulmonary hypertension, or respiratory symptoms. Among the surgical patients, nine had elevated pulmonary pressure before surgery, which decreased postoperatively; no mortality or reintervention was observed. The mean duration of echocardiographic follow-up was 1.9 y.

CONCLUSIONS

TTE is recommended for routine assessments, and further clarification can be obtained with computed tomography when TTE proves inconclusive for diagnosis. Transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography are further recommended for adult patients if TTE fails to provide clear results. PAPVC should be considered as an underlying cause when unexplained RV enlargement is observed. Surgery is recommended for patients with RV enlargement, pulmonary hypertension, or respiratory symptoms.

Isolated supra-cardiac partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection causing right heart failure

Right heart failure (RHF) has been overlooked as left heart failure has predominated. One of the many causes of RHF is partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC), an extremely rare entity in nature. Physicians should consider the unusual causes of RHF after ruling out the common causes.

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection with intact atrial septum in a child with ventricular septal defect: a case report

Partial anomalous pulmonary vein connection (PAPVC) is a rare congenital abnormal cardiac defect involving the pulmonary veins draining into the right atrium (RA) directly or indirectly by venous connection. Ninety percent of PAPVCs are accompanied by atrial septal defect (ASD). To our knowledge, there is no previous report of PAPVC with ventricular septal defect (VSD) without ASD in Korea, and in this paper, we report the first such case. A 2-day-old girl was admitted into the Chonnam National University Hospital for evaluation of a cardiac murmur. An echocardiogram revealed perimembranous VSD without ASD. She underwent patch closure of the VSD at 5 months of age. Although the VSD was completely closed, she had persistent cardiomegaly with right ventricular volume overload, as revealed by echocardiography. Three years later, cardiac catheterization and chest computed tomography revealed a PAPVC, with the right upper pulmonary vein draining into the right SVC. Therefore, correction of the PAPVC was surgically performed at 3 years of age. We conclude that it is important to suspect PAPVC in patients with right ventricular volume overload, but without ASD.

[Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in congenital heart disease]

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography is one of the greatest achievements brought about by advances in body MRI. The noninvasive evaluation of arteries and veins can obviate heart catheterization, the administration of iodinated contrast, and exposure to ionizing radiation in many patients and spare them the risks associated with these factors. These gains are even more important in children with congenital heart disease, who will have to undergo numerous vascular studies in their lifetimes and are more susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation. Contrast-enhanced MR angiography provides abundant information for diagnosis and postoperative follow-up in these patients, who reach advanced age thanks to advances in medical and surgical treatment and thus receive more and more imaging studies during their lifetimes. In this review, we analyze the contrast-enhanced MR angiography technique in these patients, the problems and precautions related to the use of gadolinium, the indications for the test, and the relevant imaging findings in patients with congenital heart disease.

Diagnostic tools in the preoperative evaluation of children with anomalous pulmonary venous connections

Pulmonary venous abnormalities are generally diagnosed by echocardiography and often confirmed by cardiac catheterization. Although angiography has been the gold standard for evaluation it carries certain inherent risks, especially in small and sick infants. In this study we retrospectively assessed the utility of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the evaluation of pulmonary venous abnormalities in pediatric patients. The results were compared with operative findings. We reviewed nine patients with total APVC and four with partial APVC. Twelve patients were infant (age range: 1 day to 8 months) and the other was 16 years old. MRA and/or CTA clearly visualized the anomalous drainage of pulmonary veins in all patients. Cardiac catheterization was performed five patients with one total anomalous pulmonary venous connection and four with partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection. Ten patients were operated on. Diagnoses of patients were confirmed by operative findings. In Conclusions, MR and CT angiography allow detailed and comprehensive evaluation of the APVC and are good diagnostic modalities for use in the preoperative assessment of the anomaly in pediatric patients.