Right Heart Catheterization through Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava, an Extremely Rare procedure and review of current literature.

We present a patient with absent right superior vena cava and PLSVC draining to a dilated coronary sinus diagnosed during right heart catheterization in the setting of pulmonary hypertension. We were able to safely complete the procedure through the right internal jugular vein. Transthoracic echocardiography and chest CT scan were consistent with this finding. Although clinically silent most of the time, undiagnosed PLSVC can lead to catastrophic consequences when the patient undergoes invasive procedures. If PLSVC is suspected, the anatomy of the thoracic venous system must be identified before invasive cardiac procedures. PMID: 27799028 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Current Cardiology Reviews - Category: Cardiology Tags: Curr Cardiol Rev Source Type: research