Persistent left superior vena cava is rare but important congenital vascular anomaly. It results when the left superior cardinal vein caudal to the innominate vein fails to regress.
What is PLSVC?
Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common congenital malformation of thoracic venous return and is present in 0.3 to 0.5% of individuals in the general population.
Can you live without a vena cava?
Absence of the inferior vena cava is a rare vascular anomaly, which usually remains asymptomatic in childhood. It is recognized as the risk factor for deep venous thrombosis, since the collateral circulation does not provide adequate drainage of the lower limbs.
What is persistent LSVC?
Persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) is the commonest congenital anomaly of the thoracic venous system. It is within the group of anomalous systemic venous return (ASVR) and the group is subdivided in cephalic, involving the superior vena cava (SVC) and caudal, involving the inferior vena cava (IVC) types.
What causes PLSVC?
The right common cardinal vein and proximal portion of the right anterior cardinal vein lead to the formation of the superior vena cava. The cause of a PLSVC is persistence of the left anterior cardinal vein and destruction of the common cardinal vein as well as the proximal part of the right anterior cardinal vein.
What side of the heart is the superior vena cava on?
right
The superior vena cava is formed by the left and right brachiocephalic veins—also referred to as the innominate veins—on the right side of the upper chest, posterior (behind) to the lower border of the first costal cartilage.
Is PLSVC hereditary?
When no other genetic reason is found to explain the PLSVC, the risk of this happening again is extremely low. If there is a genetic reason, then the risk depends on the risk of recurrence of that diagnosis. Consultation with a specialist may be helpful to sort this out.
What type of doctor removes an IVC filter?
IVC filters are placed and removed by specialized doctors called interventional radiologists. They specialize in minimally invasive surgery that relies on imaging devices such as x-rays or ultrasounds to guide their procedures.
Is IVC filter placement major surgery?
About the Procedure IVC Filter placement and removal is a minimally invasive surgery. The implantation of the IVC filter involves a local anesthetic and numbing medication injected in your skin in the area that the IVC filter will be inserted, preventing discomfort during the surgery.
What causes Plsvc?
What causes enlarged coronary sinus?
The coronary sinus enlarges when it receives a left superior vena cava or a hepatic vein, when it is joined by a left superior vena cava that receives blood from the inferior vena cava via the hemiazygos vein.
How is superior vena cava syndrome diagnosed?
How is superior vena cava syndrome diagnosed?
- Chest X-ray.
- CT scan of the chest.
- X-ray imaging of the veins (venography)
- MRI.
- Ultrasound.
What is PLSVC and how does it occur?
In some cases, however, PLSVC may occur with other congenital heart defects, such as a ventricular septal defect or coarctation of the aorta, or others. How does a PLSVC happen? The PLSVC is termed “persistent” because it originates from an embryonic vessel that normally shrinks and disappears during the first weeks of development in the womb.
Does PLSVC cause left-sided obstructive lesions?
According to the “obstructive theory” hypothesis, the presence of PLSVC, which may cause an increase in CS size, could lead to the formation of a left-sided obstructive lesion because of the space restriction [ 1 ]. PLSVC is responsible for approximately 20% of the total venous blood return from the left arm, left half of the head and neck.
What is a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC)?
What is a Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava (PLSVC)? Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is diagnosed when the large vein returning blood from the upper body to the right side of the heart, the superior vena cava, is seen on the left instead of the right side.
How does PLSVC drain from the heart?
The PLSVC usually drains into the right atrium (in 80–92%) through a dilated coronary sinus (CS),5,6but in approximately 10 to 20% of cases, it is associated with left atrial (LA) drainage.7,8The PLSVC may drain directly through the left atrium or via the unroofed CS, which is a cause of right-to-left cardiac shunt.
