title: Anomalous subaortic course of the left brachiocephalic (innominate) vein: echocardiographic diagnosis and report of an unusual association.
abstract: Subaortic left brachiocephalic, or innominate, vein is an uncommon finding in congenital heart disease, usually associated with obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. We describe our experience with 14 patients in whom the lesion was identified echocardiographically, 12 of them with right ventricular obstruction, one with totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection in the absence of obstruction to the right ventricular outflow tract, and the final one with a normal heart. A precise diagnosis of this venous anomaly is of great importance, since it needs to be differentiated from a central pulmonary artery, a pulmonary venous confluence, or an ascending vertical vein in totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection. In patients referred for surgery without catheterization, an incorrect echocardiographic diagnosis could lead to disastrous surgical results.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. eco_samira@incor.usp.br
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morhy Borges Leal
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Andressa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mussi Soares
authors.forename: Glaucia M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Penha Tavares
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yussef Afiune
authors.forename: Vitor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coimbra Guerra
authors.forename: Lea M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira Demarchi
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016121:Brachiocephalic Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome