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Prevalence of persistent superior vena cava and association with congenital heart anomalies

Zeev Perles1, Amiram Nir, Sagui Gavri

  • 1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|July 30, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A persistent superior vena cava (PSVC) is found in children, with a higher prevalence in those with congenital heart defects (CHDs). This study highlights PSVC

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • A contralateral persistent superior vena cava (PSVC) is an anatomical variation that can occur in children.
  • Its prevalence is not well-established, especially in large pediatric cohorts.
  • PSVC can be found in children with and without congenital heart defects (CHDs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of PSVC in a large cohort of pediatric patients.
  • To assess the association between PSVC and the presence and type of CHDs.
  • To evaluate the clinical significance of PSVC in pediatric cardiology.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of echocardiography data from 17,219 children over 16.5 years.
  • Categorization of patients into groups with and without structural heart anomalies.
  • Statistical analysis to determine PSVC prevalence and its association with specific CHD types.

Main Results:

  • PSVC was identified in 1.7% of the total cohort (288 children).
  • Prevalence was significantly higher in children with CHDs (2.9%) compared to those with normal hearts (0.56%).
  • PSVC showed a strong association with atrioventricular septal defects, conotruncal malformations, and left-sided defects.

Conclusions:

  • PSVC is more common in children with congenital heart anomalies than in those with structurally normal hearts.
  • The presence of PSVC increases the likelihood of associated heart defects, particularly specific types.
  • Echocardiography is crucial for identifying PSVC and guiding further cardiac evaluation in children.

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