Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Detected Incidentally after Pulmonary Artery Catheterization

• Main Authors: Hyun Jeong Lee, Namo Kim, Hyelin Lee, Jae Kwang Shim, Jong Wook Song
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine
• Series: Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine
• Subjects: catheterization, Swan-Ganz; vascular malformations; vena cava, superior
• Online Access: http://www.kjccm.org/upload/pdf/kjccm-2015-30-1-22.pdf

We present a case of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) placement through the right internal jugular vein, bridging vein and coronary sinus in a patient with previously unrecognized persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) and diminutive right superior vena cava. A 61-year-old male patient was scheduled for mitral valve repair for regurgitation. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography revealed dilated coronary sinus, but no further evaluations were performed. During advancement of the PAC, right ventricular and pulmonary arterial pressure tracing was observed at 50 and 60 cm, respectively. Transesophageal echocardiography ruled out intracardiac knotting and revealed the presence of the PAC in the LSVC, entering the right ventricle from the coronary sinus. Diminutive right superior vena cava was observed after sternotomy. The PAC was left in place for 2 days postoperatively without any complications. This case emphasizes that the possibility of LSVC and associated anomalies should always be ruled out in patients with dilated coronary sinus.