• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.161-163
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• 2010

A 12-day-old female baby underwent a Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The left superior vena cava (LSVC), which was found incidentally during the operation, was divided to facilitate surgical exposure. After the operation, she developed signs of low cardiac output and died 7 hours afterward. Autopsy findings showed that the coronary sinus was atretic at the orifice without unroofing into both atria, rendering the LSVC the sole route of coronary sinus drainage. In patients with incidentally-found LSVC during surgery, special care should be taken to leave the LSVC intact because the LSVC may be the exclusive drainage vein of the coronary venous system.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.522-524
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• 2010

Cardiac transplantation in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava (SVC) necessitates unifocalization of the caval veins. Here we report a successful case of orthotopic heart transplantation in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and persistent left SVC. Cardiac transplantation was done after the left SVC was anastomosed to the right SVC in an end to side fashion. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient is currently in an excellent clinical condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.846-860
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• 2022

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital, thoracic, and vascular anomaly. Although PLSVCs generally do not have a hemodynamic effect, several types of PLSVC and some cardiac anomalies may manifest with clinical symptoms. The presence of PLSVC can render catheterization via left subclavian access difficult when placing a pacemaker or central venous catheter. As such, recognizing a PLSVC that is typically incidentally discovered can prevent complications such as vascular injury. Differentiating vessels found in a similar location as PLSVC is necessary when performing thoracic vascular procedures. This pictorial essay explains the multi-detector CT findings of a PLSVC, and provides a summary of other blood vessels that require differentiation during thoracic vascular procedures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.202-204
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• 2018

We report a case of high-output chylothorax associated with thrombo-occlusion of the superior vena cava (SVC) and left innominate vein (LIV) following an arterial switch operation in a neonate. The chylothorax was resolved by 3 weeks after surgical reconstruction of the SVC and LIV using fresh autologous pericardium. We confirmed the patency of the SVC and LIV with a 1-year follow-up computed tomographic scan at our outpatient clinic.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.5
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• pp.210-213
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• 2013

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is usually caused by extrinsic compression or invasion of the superior vena cava (SVC) by malignant tumors involving mediastinal structures. Although thymomas are well-known causes of SVCS, cases of SVCS caused by malignant thymomas protruding into adjacent vessels draining the SVC with thrombosis have been very rarely reported worldwide. We experienced a 39-year-old female patient with SVCS that developed after the direct invasion of the left brachiocephalic vein (LBCV) and SVC by an anterior mediastinal mass with a high maximum standardized uptake value on the chest computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT. Based on these results, she underwent en bloc resection of the tumor, including removal of the involved vessels, and was eventually diagnosed as having a type B2 thymoma permeating into the LBCV and SVC. We present this case as a very rare form of SVCS caused by an invasive thymoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.346-349
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• 1996

This 32 year old female patient underwent left radical mastectomy due to ductal carcinoma on May 1990, and treated with FAM (5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin and Mitomycin C) regimen postoperatively. However, right cervical Iymph node enlargement and facial edema progressively developed since December 199). On April 1994, operation was performed, and findings were as followes; x4$\times$5$\times$7 to 1 : 1 $\times$ 1 cm sized multiple enlarged and hyperemic Iymph nodes were scatterred throughout submandibular area to the junction of superior vents cave and pericardium, and partially invaded both anterior segmental lobe, sternum and both distal tip of clavicles. After radical dissection of the nodes of neck and mediastinal nodes, and wedge resection of both anterior segments of lung, and partial resection of both clavicle tips and total sternum. The both innominate veins and superior vena cava were partially obstructed by invaded cancer SVC reconstruction was done with preclotted 10$\times$ 10$\times$ 18mm Y shap d woven Dacron graft, which was anastomosed to the point of the junction of subclavian vein and jugular vein after cross clamping both veins and 2cm above the pericardial junction with one arm clamp. After maintaining blood drainage to the SVC from the right side, left innominate vein was anastomosed with 4-0 Prolene continuous running suture. Bone cement was used for resected sternal portion and clavicular ends were fixed to postal portion with 18 Gauge wires. The patient was treated with radiation and chemotherapy after discharge, and there were no evidence of regrowing of the mass nor obstruction of the graft inspite of no antithrombotic therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.312-315
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• 1993

The malformation consisted of persistent left SVC terminating in left atrium, absence of coronary sinus, and atrial septal defect is considered as a developmental complex anomaly. We observed such a case associated with partial atrioventricular canal defect and common atrium. We operated it by intraatrial roofing [tunneling] along its course of the posterior wall of the left atrium using bovine pericardial patch, which was designed to contain some of thebesian veins, thereby, left superior vena caval and some coronary venous blood would be drained into venous side. Associated lesions were also corrected.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 1989

Single pass radionuclide cardiac angiography was performed in 67-year old woman due to dyspnea and chest discomfort. The study showed markedly dilated ascending aorta and collateral ciculations from left sudclavian vein, and confirmed aortic aneurysm with partial obstruction of superior vena cava.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1061-1069
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• 1989

A case of liposarcoma was reported in 52 year-old female. She had the operation history due to mediastinal lipoma at other Hospital before 26 months ago. Chest X-ray revealed a huge soft tissue mass- density at the entire right lung field, and left middle and lower lung field at admission. At the lateral film, the mass was located in the anterior and middle mediastinum. Transsternal bilateral thoracotomy was performed, followed by extirpation of liposarcoma, wedge resection of superior vena cava, angioplasty of superior vena cava, and then partial pericardiectomy. The post-operative treatment was 5500 rad irradiation. Post-operative course was uneventful, that was noticed by OPD follow-up for 10 months. Primary liposarcoma of the mediastinum is very rare tumor. This tumor grows to an enormous size, and symptoms are referable to compression of the contiguous intrathoracic structures. The treatment of choice is surgery in all cases. Such an approach serves to establish a tissue diagnosis, to relieve the patients* symptoms, and may results in a cure sometimes. Radiotherapy or/and chemotherapy seems to be ineffective, but should be further studied.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.277-280
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• 2015

We report the case of a 37-year-old man who suffered from biventricular failure due to left isomerism, inferior vena cava interruption with azygos vein continuation, bilateral superior vena cava, double outlet of right ventricle, complete atrioventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, and isolated dextrocardia. Heart transplantation in patients with systemic venous anomalies often requires the correction and reconstruction of the upper & lower venous drainage. We present a case of heart transplantation in a patient with left isomerism, highlighting technical modifications to the procedure, including the unifocalization of the caval veins and reconstruction with patch augmentation.