Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

[Percutaneous closure of vertical vein after supra-cardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair, using atrial septal defect occluder. A case report]

In patients operated on for total supracardiac anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC-SC), not ligating the vertical vein (VV) routinely helps to maintain greater hemodynamic stability in the postoperative period, and in many cases, spontaneous closure will be achieved. However, if the VV remains patent, it leads to a pre-tricuspid shunt with significant pulmonary hyperflow, requiring surgical or percutaneous closure. We present the case of a post-operated patient for non-obstructive TAPVC-SC with patent VV, in whom percutaneous closure was performed using an atrial septal Occluder.

Multimodality diagnostic imaging for anomalous pulmonary venous connections: a pictorial essay

Anomalous pulmonary venous connections represent a heterogeneous group of congenital heart diseases in which a part or all pulmonary venous flow drains directly or indirectly into the right atrium. Clinically, anomalous pulmonary venous connections may be silent or have variable consequences, including neonatal cyanosis, volume overload and pulmonary arterial hypertension due to the left-to-right shunt. Anomalous pulmonary venous connections are frequently associated with other congenital cardiac defects and their accurate diagnosis is crucial for treatment planning. Therefore, multimodality diagnostic imaging, comprising a combination (but not all) of echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, cardiothoracic computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, helps identify potential blind spots relevant to each imaging modality before treatment and achieve optimal management and monitoring. For the same reasons, diagnostic imaging evaluation using a multimodality fashion should be used after treatment. Finally, those interpreting the images should be familiar with the various surgical approaches used to repair anomalous pulmonary venous connections and the common postoperative complications.

Branching vertical vein with multiple sites of obstruction in supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

We present the case of an infant with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection and a branching vertical vein with multiple points of narrowing, draining the confluence into the innominate vein. The embryology and clinical relevance of this interesting anatomy is discussed.