Research Article
Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: A Benign Ultrasound Finding or a Marker for Other Fetal Anomalies? Analysis of 27 cases from a single fetal cardiology referral center
Dr. Sajnach-Menke MPersistent Left Superior Vena Cava: A Benign Ultrasound Finding or a Marker for Other Fetal Anomalies? Analysis of 27 cases from a single fetal cardiology referral center Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of associated cardiac and extracardiac conditions with a persistent left superior vena cava detected in fetal echocardiography. Method: The study included 27 cases with a prenatal diagnosis of persistent left superior vena cava with the presence of bridging left brachiocephalic vein and bilateral superior vena cava and the absence of the right superior vena cava. Results: Seven fetuses had an isolated persistent left superior vena cava (7/27; 26%) of which four had extracardiac malformations. In twenty cases (20/27; 74%), a persistent left superior vena cava was accompanied by cardiac anomalies, of which twelve had different extracardiac malformations. There were 27 fetuses with 62 cardiac diagnoses; aortic valve and aortic arch anomalies accounted for 12 diagnoses (12/62; 19.4%). Abdominal anomalies were the most common extracardiac conditions (10/22; 45.5%), followed by polyhydramnios in seven fetuses, intrauterine growth restriction in six and a single umbilical artery in five cases. Conclusion: Persistent left superior vena cava is not always a benign finding, but it may coexist with significant cardiac and extracardiac anomalies.