EVALUATION OF ANOMALOUS SYSTEMIC VENOUS D RAINAGE AND SYSTEMIC VENOUSOBSTRUCTION AFTER ATRIAL INFLOW CORRECTION WITH SPIRAL-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND 3-D-RECONSTRUCTION

We report spiral-CT findings in adult patients with congenital abnorma lities of the vena cava and systemic venous obstructions after atrial switch operation. Especially systemic venous obstruction is a well-kno wn complication following Mustard procedure for transposition of the g reat arteries. The results demonstrate that computed tomography, parti culary with the use of 3-dimensional surface reconstruction, is very u seful as a highly sensitive procedure for the detailed depiction of ab normalities of the vena cava or of residua and sequelae after inflow c orrection for complete transposition. Demonstration of such abnormalit ies or obstructions after atrial switch operation is important, since the recognition and quantitation of caval anomalies by clinical techni ques is unreliable and indeed often impossible. Imaging procedures suc h as spiral computed tomography are important for this purpose. Advant ages of spiral computed tomography, particularly with 3-dimensional re construction, are discussed.