Levoatriocardinal vein in mitral atresia mimicking obstructive total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

Pictorial Essay: Understanding of Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava and Its Differential Diagnosis

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital, thoracic, and vascular anomaly. Although PLSVCs generally do not have a hemodynamic effect, several types of PLSVC and some cardiac anomalies may manifest with clinical symptoms. The presence of PLSVC can render catheterization via left subclavian access difficult when placing a pacemaker or central venous catheter. As such, recognizing a PLSVC that is typically incidentally discovered can prevent complications such as vascular injury. Differentiating vessels found in a similar location as PLSVC is necessary when performing thoracic vascular procedures. This pictorial essay explains the multi-detector CT findings of a PLSVC, and provides a summary of other blood vessels that require differentiation during thoracic vascular procedures.

Extracardiac Pulmonary-Systemic Connection via Persistent Levoatriocardinal Vein in Adults

The levoatriocardinal vein is a very rare but clinically important intrathoracic venous anomaly that connects the systemic (cardinal) and pulmonary venous channels. We report 4 adults with pulmonary-systemic venous communications that can explain the morphology of the extracardiac interatrial shunting through the persistent levoatriocardinal vein. We discuss the imaging features of the 2 types of such communications: direct connection of the levoatriocardinal vein (1) with the left atrium and (2) with the left superior pulmonary vein in the absence of obstructive left heart disease. Accurate characterization of these diagnostically challenging cases is important because in addition to hemodynamic imbalance they are at risk of paradoxical embolism. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are noninvasive imaging techniques that should play increasingly important roles in the evaluation of these anomalies.

Levoatriocardinal vein with normal intracardiac anatomy and pulmonary venous return

Levoatriocardinal vein (LACV) is characterized by an abnormal connection between pulmonary and systemic venous return. This extremely rare cardiac malformation is usually associated with left-sided obstructive lesions including mitral atresia, hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, and abnormal pulmonary venous connection. Patients may have low systemic cardiac output and pulmonary venous obstruction symptoms. In this manuscript, we report a case with LACV and normal pulmonary venous return with absence of any intracardiac pathology. LACV was demonstrated with echocardiography, angiography, and computed tomography. Surgical correction was made successfully.