Rare anomalous drainage of the great cardiac vein into superior vena cava

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular anatomy
• Medical imaging
• Congenital heart anomalies

Background:

• Cardiac venous anatomy exhibits natural variations.
• Understanding these variations is crucial for clinical practice and surgical planning.
• Rare anomalies can present diagnostic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report an extremely rare case of great cardiac vein anomaly.
• To illustrate the diagnostic utility of computed tomography coronary angiography in identifying complex cardiac venous variations.
• To contribute to the literature on cardiac venous anatomical variations.

Main Methods:

• Case report presentation.
• Detailed analysis of computed tomography coronary angiography findings.
• Review of relevant anatomical and clinical literature.

Main Results:

• Identification of an anomalous great cardiac vein draining directly into the superior vena cava.
• Demonstration of the detailed anatomical course and termination of the anomalous vein via computed tomography coronary angiography.
• Confirmation of the rarity of this specific cardiac venous anomaly.

Conclusions:

• Anatomical variations of the great cardiac vein, though rare, can occur.
• Computed tomography coronary angiography is an effective imaging modality for characterizing complex cardiac venous anomalies.
• Awareness of such anomalies is important for cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.