The Pulmonary Venous Return from Normal to Pathological-Clinical Correlations and Review of Literature

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 57; no. 3; p. 293
• Main Authors: Tarniceriu, Cristina Claudia, Hurjui, Loredana Liliana, Tanase, Daniela Maria, Nedelcu, Alin Horatiu, Gradinaru, Irina, Ursaru, Manuela, Stefan Rudeanu, Alexandra, Delianu, Carmen, Lozneanu, Ludmila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.03.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; anatomical variants; anomalous pulmonary venous return; Blood pressure; Case Report; Congenital diseases; Heart; Heart Atria; Hemoglobin; Humans; Hypertension; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Medical prognosis; Oxygen saturation; Patients; Pulmonary arteries; pulmonary veins; Pulmonary Veins - diagnostic imaging; Veins & arteries; Vena Cava, Superior - diagnostic imaging; anomalous pulmonary venous return; anatomical variants; pulmonary veins
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina57030293

Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from lungs to the left atrium of the heart. The anatomy of the pulmonary veins is variable with some anatomic variants. In clinical practice the difference between the normal anatomy of pulmonary veins with its variants and abnormal anatomy is very important for clinicians. Variants of pulmonary veins may occur in number, diameter and normal venous return. We present a case report and a review of the literature with the pulmonary venous return that deviates from the usual anatomical configuration and ranges from normal variant drainage to anomalous pulmonary-systemic communication. Initially, it was considered as an anatomical variant of the pulmonary venous return associated with the persistence of the left superior vena cava. Upon detailed exploration it was established that it was an anomaly of the pulmonary venous return which led in time to the installation of its complications. Diagnosis can be difficult, sometimes missed, or only made late in adulthood when complications were installed. Knowledge of variant anatomy and anomalous pulmonary venous return play a crucial role in the diagnostically challenging patient.