Anomalous pulmonary veins

The literature now embodies 133 case reports of anomalous drainage of pulmonary veins. Of these patients, partial drainage into the right atrium occurred in 75, and complete drainage into this chamber or its tributaries occurred in 56. Additional cardiovascular anomalies were present in 23 of the latter group of patients. Partial drainage of pulmonary veins into the right atrium is consistent with long life. In 56 reported cases of complete drainage of pulmonary veins into the right atrium, only 10 patients lived beyond the age of 8 months. The clinical diagnosis of complete drainage of pulmonary veins into the right atrium can be established by use of the cardiac catheter and the angiocardiogram. An additional case is described in which all of the pulmonary veins emptied into the superior vena cava in a male infant who lived to the age of 8 weeks.