Summary
A case of double superior vena cava lacking the left brachiocephalic vein was found. The left superior vena cava directly continued to the accessory hemiazygos vein without anastomosis with the coronary sinus. Therefore, the blood from the left superior vena cava drained into the right superior vena cava via the transverse anastomosis between the left and right azygos lines. It was thought that embryologically 1) the inter-precardinal vein was not formed, and 2) the left precardinal vein did not continue to the common cardinal vein, rather it drained into the left azygos line. This case may represent one of the most basic arrangements of the superior caval system.
Résumé
Il a été observé un cas de double veine cave supérieure avec absence de la veine brachio-céphalique gauche. La veine cave supérieure gauche continuait la veine hémiazygos accessoire sans anastomose avec le sinus coronaire. Toutefois, le sang de la veine cave supérieure gauche se drainait dans la veine cave supérieure droite par une anastomose transverse entre les azygos droite et gauche. On pense que, 1) la veine inter-précardinale ne s'est pas formée, et 2) la veine précardinale gauche ne se continue pas dans la veine cardinale commune mais plutôt se draine dans l'azygos gauche. Ce cas doit reprśenter l'un des dispositifs les plus primitifs du système cave supérieur.
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Sakamoto, H., Akita, K., Sato, K. et al. Left superior vena cava continuing to the accessory hemiazygos without anastomosis with the coronary sinus. Surg Radiol Anat 15, 151–154 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01628317
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01628317