Various anomalous veins left to aortic arch distinction based on CT findings / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To review the CT appearance of various anomalous mediastinal veins left to aortic arch and provide guideline for differentiating between them. Methods All 41 patients (26 men, 15 women; mean age 50.6) underwent CT scan and no one associated with congenital heart disease. 36 of which had the injection of IV contrast material. Others had chest MRI or ultrasound examination. Three-dimension (3D) and MIP reconstruction of the major mediastinal vascular structures were performed in 6 patients. All the CT scans were reviewed in order to observe the CT findings in each anomaly. Results Of the all cases, 24 cases had persistent left superior vena cava, of them, 23 cases with duplication of SVC, and 1 case with absent right SVC. Eleven cases had anomalous left brachiocephalic vein, and 6 of 11 cases were associated with various anomalous aortic arches. Four patients had partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the left upper lobe. Two cases had left brachiocephalic vein continuation of the azygos vein. There were different CT findings among various types of venous anomalies, especially their courses below the aortic arch. Conclusion Contrast enhancement CT scan was valuable in the diagnoses of these anomalous veins. Careful analysis of the CT scans allowed the radiologist to avoid making wrong diagnosis.