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Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava and Inferior Vena Cava Dual Drainage to Coronary Sinus: A Case Report

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Abstract

Dilation of the coronary sinus is often a result of excessive volume overload from congenital anomalies of systemic venous return to the heart. These abnormalities are often discovered incidentally later in life when a patient requires cardiac imaging, cardiac catheterization, or thoracic surgery. The most common abnormality is a persistent left superior vena cava. Inferior vena cava malformation is less common, yet several different anomalies can arise. The presence of persistent left superior vena cava or inferior vena cava anomalies requires further evaluation to rule out congenital heart disease in infants. Knowledge of technically challenging systemic venous anatomy is beneficial prior to procedures necessitating central venous access such as a central line, cardiac catheterization, and intracardiac device implantation. We present an unusual case of persistent LSVC and IVC both draining directly into a severely dilated coronary sinus that was diagnosed by fetal echocardiogram and later confirmed postnatally by transthoracic echocardiogram and computed tomography angiography. To our knowledge this is the second reported case of IVC drainage into the CS and the first case that reports this as a prenatal diagnosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA

    Susannah Pitt

  2. Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jennifer Chen & Ammie M. White

  3. Cardiac Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Ramiro W. Lizano Santamaria

Authors
  1. Susannah Pitt
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  2. Jennifer Chen
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  3. Ammie M. White
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  4. Ramiro W. Lizano Santamaria
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Contributions

All authors conceptualized the manuscript. S.P. wrote the main manuscript text. AW, JC, and RL provided image interpretation and preparation. All authors reviewed the manuscript and gave final approval.

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Correspondence to Ramiro W. Lizano Santamaria.

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Pitt, S., Chen, J., White, A.M. et al. Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava and Inferior Vena Cava Dual Drainage to Coronary Sinus: A Case Report. Pediatr Cardiol 44, 494–498 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-022-03019-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-022-03019-3

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