Published in:
01-02-2006
Anomalous Drainage of the Inferior Vena Cava into the Left Atrium
Published in: Pediatric Cardiology | Issue 1/2006
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An 8 year-old male with a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia presented with cyanosis of the lips and nail beds, hypoxemia (peripheral O2 saturation of 88%), and symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. His only chronic complaint was dyspnea and fatigue with extreme exercise. He had normal heart sounds without murmurs, and his chest radiograph and initial echocardiogram were both normal. A second echocardiogram (Fig. 1) was performed, which revealed abnormal septation of the right atrium. Cardiac catheterization confirmed anomalous inferior vena cava drainage into the left atrium (Fig. 2) with normal intracardiac pressures and normal pulmonary venous drainage.
Fig. 1
(A) Transesophageal long-axis echocardiogram demonstrates abnormal atrial septation. (B) Microcavitation study via the superior vena cava opacifies the right atrium only, failing to identify a right-to-left shunt. IVC, inferior vena cava; LA, left atrium; RA, right atrium; SVC, superior vena cava.
Fig. 2
(A) Anteroposterior view and (B) lateral view. Cardiac catheterization with contrast injection into the inferior vena cava demonstrates direct drainage into the left atrium and left ventricle. A small amount of contrast can be seen entering into the right atrium appropriately.
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