1. Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Turin, Città della Salute e della Scienza - Molinette, Turin, Italy; 2. Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza - Molinette, Turin, Italy; 3. Vascular Interventional Radiology, Città della S
PLSVC: persistent left superior vena cava
These images describe a rare case of platypnoea-orthodeoxia syndrome caused by a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) draining into the left atrium (LA) (Online Appendix).
A 39-year-old woman was admitted to our department after hypoxia had been discovered at a preoperative screening for orthognathic surgery. Her oxygen saturation was 99% in the supine position, but dropped to 92% when standing. Thoracic CT scan and MRI revealed an anomalous connection between the innominate vein and the LA; moreover, a vein connecting the PLSVC to the azygos vein was identified (Panel A-Panel C).##...