MRI OF TOTAL ANOMALOUS PULMONARY VENOUS CONNECTIONS

Objective: A prospective MR study was undertaken in 13 patients with t otal anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) to determine the va lue of MR in its detection. Materials and Methods: Echocardiography wa s performed in all cases and cardiac angiography was performed in eigh t patients before MRI. Results: Magnetic resonance detected TAPVC in f our cases without prior echocardiographic and angiographic diagnosis. In seven surgically proven cases, the diagnostic accuracy of preoperat ive MR, echocardiography, and cardiac angiography was 100 (7 of 7), 57 (4 of 7), and 25% (1 of 4), respectively. In the remaining cases incl uding three cases for postoperative evaluation, MR findings correlated well with those of echocardiography or angiography. The combination o f axial and coronal MRI visualized 96% of the individual anomalous pul monary veins and 100% of the common pulmonary veins. Stenosis of a com mon pulmonary vein (three cases) or the superior vena cava (one case) was identified on MR in all cases. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance is a n effective modality in depicting TAPVCs.