title: Brain abscess associated with isolated left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium in the absence of coronary sinus and atrial septal defect.
abstract: A previously healthy 12-year-old girl presented with severe headache for 2 weeks. On physical examination, there was finger clubbing without apparent cyanosis. Neurological examination revealed only papiledema without focal neurologic signs. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed the characteristic features of brain abscess in the left frontal lobe. Cardiologic workup to exclude a right-to-left shunt showed an abnormality of the systemic venous drainage: presence of isolated left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium in the absence of coronary sinus and atrial septal defect. This anomaly is rare, because only a few other cases have been reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology Unit, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. ilknur_erol@yahoo.co
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: I Ilker
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Füsun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alehan
authors.forename: Birgül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Varan
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: A Muhtesem
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Agildere
authors.forename: Kursad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokel
mesh_terms: D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media