Clinical significance of prenatal ultrasonography in diagnosis of fetal retroaortic left innominate vein / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of prenatal ultrasonography in diagnosis of retroaortic left innominate vein ( LINV ) . Methods Thirty fetus with retroaortic LINV were involved , including 17 cases of isolated retroaortic LINV and 13 cases of complicated retroaortic LINV . Three-vessel and trachea ( 3VT ) view was focused in the routine second trimester ultrasound screening to observe whether LINV existing or not . And then the transducer was rotated to the fetal sagittal view to assess the relationship between LINV and aortic arch and the convergence of left subclavian vein and left internal jugular vein into the LINV . Results The characteristic feature of retroaortic LINV was the LINV converge into right superior vena cava ( SVC) under the aortic arch ,not above the aortic arch . The most important plane to detect the retroaortic LINV was the 3VT view ,which revealed the abnormal vein lying to the left of pulmonary artery . The abnormal vein then could be traced and revealed its connection with the right SVC beneath the aortic arch on the transverse plane inferior to the 3VT view and on the fetal sagittal plane . Conclusions The whole course of retroaortic LINV can be revealed by ultrasound prenatally ,which can not only account for the abnormal vein to the left of pulmonary artery on 3VT view ,but also play an important role in surgery decision and future cardiac intervention treatment .