Clinical diagnosis of persistent left superior vena cava by observation of jugular pulses

Abstract

In seven patients with persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) diagnosed at surgery or by intracardiac catheterization, the difference in amplitude between the left and the right jugular pulses was investigated. In sex cases the left jugular pulse had greater amplitude and in the seventh case the opposite was true, but this patient had “mirror-image” dextrocardia with situs inversus and therefore it was considered a positive sign. The greater amplitude of the jugular pulse in the same side of the anomalous superior vena cava (usually the left), appears to be a useful sign to suspect the diagnosis of this malformation.