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Absent right superior vena cava and persistent left superior vena cava: An incidental finding

Swati Joshi1, Ajmer Singh1

  • 1Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Institute of Critical Care and Anesthesiology, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.

Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia
|October 20, 2023
PubMed

Insights

A patient with Marfan syndrome had an absent right superior vena cava and a persistent left superior vena cava. This rare congenital anomaly was diagnosed using echocardiography and CT scans.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging
  • Congenital Abnormalities

Background:

  • Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder affecting connective tissue.
  • Congenital anomalies of the superior vena cava (SVC) are rare but can impact cardiac surgery.
  • The Bentall operation is a complex procedure for aortic root and ascending aorta disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of absent right SVC and persistent left SVC in a patient with Marfan syndrome undergoing Bentall operation.
  • To highlight the diagnostic methods for identifying this anomaly.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a patient with Marfan syndrome.
  • Diagnostic imaging including agitated saline contrast echocardiography and computed tomography (CT) of the chest.

Main Results:

  • The patient was found to have an absent right SVC and a persistent left SVC.
  • Dilation of the coronary sinus was an initial indicator.
  • Echocardiography and CT confirmed the diagnosis of persistent left SVC.

Conclusions:

  • Persistent left superior vena cava is a rare congenital anomaly.
  • Accurate pre-operative diagnosis is crucial for surgical planning in complex cardiac procedures.
  • Multimodal imaging is effective in diagnosing venous anomalies.

Keywords:
Absent right superior vena cavacomputed tomographycontrast echocardiographypersistent left superior vena cava

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