Persistent left superior vena cava is the most common form of anomalous venous drainage involving the superior vena cava, and represents persistence of the left horn of the embryonic sinus venosus, which normally involutes during normal development to become the coronary sinus. Almost always, a persistent left superior vena cava enters the right atrium through the orifice of an enlarged coronary sinus. In this case report of a 60-year-old male cadaver, we describe a persistent left superior vena cava and discuss its embryology and clinical significance.
We report a rare case of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) with direct drainage into the left atrium in a 3-yearsold boy who had been electively admitted for hypospadias repair, when he was noticed to have finger clubbing and mild hypoxia but was otherwise asymptomatic. The diagnosis of PLSVC can be made without an invasive tool as direct drainage of PLSVC into the left atrium be visualised using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) by injecting agitated saline into the left arm.
We present a case of a 62-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease who displayed a persistent left superior vena cava detected following placement of haemodialysis catheter through the left internal jugular vein (IJV). The diagnosis was confirmed by left internal jugular vein cathetogram, computed tomography (CT) thorax and transthoracic echocardiography. The catheter was removed without immediate complications. She remained well during the outpatient follow-up.