Clinical significance of persistent left superior vena cava diagnosed in fetal life

Abstract

Objectives

Reply

“…It is also important to emphasize that the spectrum of CHD reported postnatally to be associated with PLSVC correlates well with that observed in most prenatal series, all showing an excess of conotruncal anomalies, septal defects and left heart obstructive disease. However, in contrast with our own results, in which heterotaxy syndromes were overrepresented in fetuses with PLSVC, the almost complete absence of these defects in the postnatal series presented by Postema et al 1 is remarkable and may reflect the high mortality associated with these conditions. …”

“…Therefore, its recognition should prompt a detailed cardiac and extracardiac survey, both prenatally and postnatally. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that the conclusions presented in the three series mentioned by Postema et al were drawn from high-risk populations (up to 40% of CHD in the series of Postema et al 1 ) and, therefore, the real value of the detection of this venous anomaly in an unselected population is still unknown. It is also important to emphasize that the spectrum of CHD reported postnatally to be associated with PLSVC correlates well with that observed in most prenatal series, all showing an excess of conotruncal anomalies, septal defects and left heart obstructive disease.…”

Ultrasonographic features of the persistence of superior left vena cava and pathological cardiac associations in fetus. Case series.

“…Galindo et al [10] found a frequency of 0.2% in fetuses with normal heart and 9% in fetuses with cardiac abnormalities. Nsah et al [11] found an incidence of 9% on 1208 autopsied specimens of fetuses with cardiac abnormalities.…”

“…Otherwise, there is a significant morbidity and mortality, which results especially from the associated abnormalities [10,12,13,17]. Identification in the fetal life of the PLSVC increases the risk of cardiac malformation by 50 times [16].…”

Persistent left superior vena cava – considerations in fetal, pediatric and adult populations

“…, 32 Others contend that persistent LSVC itself should not constitute an indication for fetal karyotype, as the cardiac defects themselves are the true conditions associated with chromosomal disorders and not the persistent left SVC 4 . Table 1 summarises all the associations with this finding.…”