title: Double superior vena cava and anomaly of cardiovascular system with a review of the literature.
abstract: In a student course of gross anatomy dissection at Kanagawa Dental College in 2008, we found an extremely rare case of the double superior vena cava that has a shunt between the right and left atria of a 81-year-old Japanese male cadaver. The left superior vena cava passed through the space between the left cardiac auricle and the left pulmonary vein and entered the coronary sulcus. Then it opened near the opening of the inferior vena cava as the coronary venous sinus to the right atrium. The upper edge of the interatrial septum was located at the site where the right superior vena cava opened to the right atrium. Accordingly, the right atrium connected with left atrium through this site. We discuss the anatomy and etiology of these anomalous structures with a brief review of the literature.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Kanagawa Dental College, 82 Inaoka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 238-8580, Japan. larynx-ai@tbc.t-com.ne.jp
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Iimura
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Oguchi
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Shibata
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Matsuo
authors: Tsuneo
authors: T
authors: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018376:Cardiovascular Abnormalities / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology