European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery 44 (2013) 768 doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezt212 Advance Access publication 3 May 2013
IMAGES IN CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY
Anomalous venous drainage of the lung to the brachiocephalic vein Marek Szkorupaa, Tomáš Bohanesa,*, Josef Chudácˇ eka and Filip Cˇ tvrtlíkb a b
The 1st Department of Surgery, Palacký University Teaching Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic Department of Radiology, Palacký University Teaching Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
* Corresponding author. The 1st Department of Surgery, Palacký University Teaching Hospital Olomouc, I.P. Pavlova 6, 77520 Olomouc, Czech Republic. Tel: +420-588-442717; fax: +420-585-418770; e-mail:
[email protected] (T. Bohanes). Received 29 December 2012; accepted 4 February 2013
Keywords: Venous anomalies • Lung • Pulmonary vein
A patient was admitted with newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer of the upper left lung lobe. An incidental finding was an anomalous venous drainage of the lobe to the brachiocephalic
vein, creating a haemodynamically insignificant left–right shunt. A lobectomy was performed; the vein was ligated at the confluence with the brachiocephalic vein (Figs 1 and 2).
Figure 1: CT scan with the arrow indicating (A) the confluence of the segmental veins of the left upper lobe laterally to the left pulmonary artery; (B) the course of the upper pulmonary vein around the arch of the aorta and (C) its confluence with the brachiocephalic vein.
Figure 2: CT 3D reconstruction of the course of the upper pulmonary vein across the arch of the aorta and its outflow to the brachiocephalic vein.
© The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.
