title: Prenatal diagnosis of persistent left superior vena cava and its clinical significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a variant of systemic venous return which is observed in 0.3% of autopsies in the general population and in 4-8% of patients with congenital heart disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate associated cardiac, extracardiac and chromosomal anomalies in prenatally diagnosed cases of PLSVC and to review their outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of patients with a prenatal diagnosis of PLSVC between May 2008 and January 2013 were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data of 31 cases were reviewed. Fifteen (48.4%) cases were associated with cardiac defects and 17 (54.8%) cases had associated extracardiac sonographic or postpartum findings. Two fetuses had karyotype anomalies. Outcome was significantly more favorable in cases not associated with cardiac defects in comparison to those associated with cardiac anomalies (84.6% vs. 33.3%, p=0.009). All cases with isolated PLSVC survived, while among the cases associated with extracardiac anomalies, with cardiac anomalies and with both extra-cardiac and cardiac anomalies, the survival rate was 75%, 50% and 22.2%, respectively. The most frequent group of cardiac anomalies associated with PLSVC was septal defects and VSD was the most common heart defect individually, being observed in nine fetuses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatally diagnosed PLSVC is associated with cardiac and extracardiac anomalies in the majority of cases. Outcome is significantly worse if PLSVC is associated with a cardiac defect, and the prognosis is excellent in isolated cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aytül Çorbacıoğlu
authors.initials: AÇ
authors.lastname: Esmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Atıl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calı
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsürmeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rukiye Eker
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Omeroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kalelioğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Has
keywords: Cardiac anomaly; congenital anomaly; persistent left superior vena cava; prenatal diagnosis; ultrasound