Transposed pulmonary veins: A correlation of clinical and cardiac catheterization data

Abstract

Ten patients with transposed pulmonary veins are described. These include four patients with partial and two with complete pulmonary vein transposition, in whom cardiac catheterization and clinical findings are correlated. The other patients presented (1) pulmonary valvular stenosis accompanied by partial pulmonary vein transposition, (2) a left superior vena cava entering a sinus venosus in common with the hepatic veins, accompanied by anomalous drainage of the right pulmonary veins into the right atrium, and (3) probable tricuspid atresia with partial pulmonary vein transposition (two cases). The diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary vein drainage in these cases was made at cardiac catheterization by roentgen visualization of the catheter in the anomalous vein, by a characteristic pulmonary vein pressure curve and finally by 90 to 95 per cent oxygen saturation in the blood sample from the anomalous vein. Surgical exploration and attempts to correct this anomaly should be reserved for those patients with complete transposition in whom limitation of physical activity is progressive.