Anomalous venoatrial connections – CT and MRI assessment
Antonio Celona,
Elio Caruso,
Silvia Farruggio,
Lilia Oreto,
Maria Cristina Inserra,
Maria Teresa Cannizzaro,
Tommaso D'Angelo,
Silvio Mazziotti,
David Angel Ortiz,
Davide Calvaruso,
Christian Booz,
Salvatore Agati,
Corrado Di Mambro,
Giambattista Privitera,
Giuseppa Fiumanò,
Placido Romeo
Affiliations
Antonio Celona
UOC Radiodiagnostica, San Vincenzo Hospital, Provincial Health Agency of Messina, Taormina, Italy; Corresponding author.
Elio Caruso
Centro Cardiologico Pediatrico del Mediterraneo (CCPM), San Vincenzo Hospital, Provincial Health Agency of Messina, Taormina, Italy
Silvia Farruggio
Centro Cardiologico Pediatrico del Mediterraneo (CCPM), San Vincenzo Hospital, Provincial Health Agency of Messina, Taormina, Italy
Lilia Oreto
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università di Messina, Italy
Maria Cristina Inserra
Radiologia 2, CAST, AOU Policlinico “G. Rodolico” San Marco, Catania, Italy
Maria Teresa Cannizzaro
Radiologia 2, CAST, AOU Policlinico “G. Rodolico” San Marco, Catania, Italy
Tommaso D'Angelo
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital Policlinico “G. Martino”, Messina, Italy; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Silvio Mazziotti
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital “Policlinico G. Martino”, Messina, Italy
David Angel Ortiz
Centro Cardiologico Pediatrico del Mediterraneo (CCPM), San Vincenzo Hospital, Provincial Health Agency of Messina, Taormina, Italy
Davide Calvaruso
University Hospital Centre, Toulouse, France
Christian Booz
Division of Experimental Imaging, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Salvatore Agati
Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, Rome, Italy
Corrado Di Mambro
Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, Rome, Italy
Giambattista Privitera
UOC Radiologia San Marco, AOU Policlinico “G. Rodolico” San Marco, Catania, Italy
Giuseppa Fiumanò
UOC Radiologia San Marco, AOU Policlinico “G. Rodolico” San Marco, Catania, Italy
Placido Romeo
UOC Radiologia San Marco, AOU Policlinico “G. Rodolico” San Marco, Catania, Italy
Abnormal venous atrial (VA) connections present a congenital heart disease (CHD) challenge for pediatric cardiologists. Fully anatomical evaluation is very difficult in prenatal and perinatal follow-up, but it has a profound impact on surgical correction and outcome. The echocardiogram is first-line imaging and represents the gold standard tool for simple abnormal VA connection. CT and MRI are mandatory for more complex heart disease and “nightmare cases”. 3D post-processing of volumetric CT and MRI acquisition helps to clarify anatomical relationships and allows for the creation of 3D printing models that can become crucial in customizing surgical strategy.Our article describes a ten-year (2013–2022) tertiary referral CHD center of abnormal AV connections investigated with CT and MRI, illustrating most of these complex diseases with the help of volume rendering (VR) or multiplanar reconstructions (MPR). The nightmarish cases will also be addressed due to the complex cardiovascular arrangement that requires a challenging surgical solution for correction along with the post-surgical complications.