Venocaval anomalies are uncommon in the general population and often go unrecognized, but physicians should be aware of their significance. Duplicate superior vena cava should be identified during cardiac imaging, surgery, and catheter insertions. While interrupted inferior vena cava can predispose to thrombus formation, they protect against pulmonary embolism from lower extremity deep vein thr...

Persistent left superior vena cava is the most common congenital venous abnormality of the thorax and has a prevalence of 0.5% among the general population.1 Other related malformations include absent right superior vena cava and presence of a left azygos vein. In these situations, the right side of the head and the right arm drain mainly through the innominate vein in the left superior vena ca...

A 3-week-old female underwent transthoracic echocardiography (iE33, Philips medical system, Andover, MA, USA) to evaluate a grade 1 systolic murmur. In the subcostal view, blood flow in the inferior vena cava drained to the right atrium, while no blood flow from the superior vena cava to the right atrium was noted (Figure 1A). In the four-chamber view, no superior vena caval blood flow was seen...

It is uncommon for thyroid cancer to present with superior vena cava syndrome. Obstruction of superior vena cava can develop as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic spread of the thyroid cancer. The usual presentation of this disease entity is a neck mass with symptoms and signs suggestive of superior vena cava obstruction. Superior vena cava obstruction is commonly caused by lung cancer and lym...

An unusual case of anomalous drainage of the right lung is described. The right superior pulmonary vein drained into the superior vena cava, and the middle and lower pulmonary veins drained into the inferior vena cava. Repair was achieved by creating a pericardial baffle that drained the inferior vein and the orifice of the superior vena cava through a surgically created atrial septal defect. T...

A 27 yr old man presented with productive cough, fever and manifestations of superior vena cava syndrome. He was an alcoholic but had been in good health until 3 days prior to admission. The physical examination, the chest radiograph and the results of the sputum culture were compatible with Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia of the right upper lobe. The superior vena cava scintigram using technet...

Aggressive en-bloc resection of the superior vena cava was performed in a 50-year-old man who had superior vena caval syndrome caused by invasive thymoma. After the superior vena cava was resected, a Gore-Tex vascular graft was used to reconstruct the lower end of the right innominate vein and lower end of the superior vena cava. The patient was treated with postoperative radiotherapy to the me...

A case of superior vena cava syndrome caused by a primary intimal sarcoma of the superior vena cava is described. The known causes of superior vena caval obstruction are discussed, together with the difficulties in identifying the underlying lesion. The possibility of a primary superior vena caval neoplasm as a cause of superior vena caval obstruction should be considered in patients presenting...

An incidence of a left superior vena cava with a left azygos vein was found in a cadaver during an Osaka Dental University student's dissection practice session in 2002. The left superior vena cava began from the confluence between the right and left brachiocephalic veins, and extended directly into the left superior edge of the coronary sinus. No right superior vena cava was observed. The left...

Ascending aortic aneurysm is a rare cause of superior vena cava syndrome. Herein, we describe a case of superior vena cava syndrome caused by a chronic dissecting aortic aneurysm after aortic valve replacement. A successful replacement of the aortic root and ascending aorta led to an improvement of edema of the face and bilateral upper limbs caused by superior vena cava syndrome.