title: Persistent left and absent right superior vena cava.
abstract: Persistent left and absent right superior vena cava is a rare congenital anomaly, which is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. A 57-year-old female patient was referred to this hospital for valvular surgery. Preoperative echocardiography and computed tomography revealed the diagnosis of persistent left and absent right superior vena cava. Mitral and aortic valve replacements were successfuly performed using aortic and single inferior vena cava cannulations with antegrade cardioplegic infusion. Cardiovascular surgeons or cardiologists should be aware of its presence in advance of a pertinent manoeuvre.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel. shi_min_yuan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shi-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raanani
authors.forename: Amihay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinfeld
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kogan
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery