title: The dilated coronary sinus: utility of coronary sinus cross-sectional area and eccentricity index in differentiating right atrial pressure overload from persistent left superior vena cava.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary hypertension and right atrial pressure overload (RAPO) cause dilation of the coronary sinus (CS). Persistent connection of the left superior vena cava (LSVC) to the CS is another cause of CS dilation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of coronary sinus cross-sectional area (CSA) and eccentricity index (EI) in differentiating persistent LSVC from right heart overload and RAPO in patients with dilated CS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 15 patients with a dilated CS by echocardiography. Offline analysis was used to measure CS-CSA and CS-EI at end-diastole in the parasternal long axis plane. EI was defined as B/A, where A is the widest diameter and major axis of the CS, and B is the diameter of the minor axis (perpendicular to and bisecting A at its midpoint). Persistent LSVC was confirmed by either computed tomography or injection of agitated saline in the left antecubital vein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CS-CSA was significantly larger in PLSVC group than in group with RAPO. Also, CS-EI was lower in PLSVC than in RAPO group (P = 0.0003). EI was the most sensitive and specific discriminator between patients with persistent LSVC vs. RAPO. CS-EI was <0.8 in all PLSVC patients and >0.8 in all RAPO patients (sensitivity and specificity = 100%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with persistent LSVC have a significantly higher CS-CSA than those with elevated RA pressure. When dilated CS is present, a CS-EI <0.8 is 100% sensitive and specific for persistent LSVC. Thus, the CS-EI can be used in cases of dilated CS to diagnose the presence of persistent LSVC with a very high degree of certainty, and can help differentiate this congenital anomaly from RAPO.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, UCSD School of Medicine and UCSD Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kolski
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khadivi
authors.forename: Mirielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anawati
authors.forename: Lori B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: Anthony N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Demaria
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Blanchard
mesh_terms: D016280:Atrial Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*; D054326:Coronary Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities*