title: Chronic cyanosis due to persistent left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium in the absence of a coronary sinus.
abstract: We report a rare case of a 5-year-old child who presented with chronic hypoxemia and a normal cardiac examination, and was found to have a persistent left superior vena cava draining directly into the left atrium. The coronary sinus was absent. This case introduces a contradiction to the generally accepted concept that this anomalous connection can only occur in the presence of a partly or completely unroofed coronary sinus. High index of suspicion is required to include this pathology in the differential diagnosis for a patient with persistent cyanosis with normal cardiac examination.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116-NWT, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. sanchez_a@kids.wustl.edu
authors: Aura
authors: A
authors: Sanchez Mejia
authors: Himanshu
authors: H
authors: Singh
authors: Sanjeev
authors: S
authors: Bhalla
authors: Gautam K
authors: GK
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D054326:Coronary Sinus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003490:Cyanosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery