Late Diagnosis of Unroofed Coronary Sinus Associated with Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava in Patient with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: Case Report
<b>Background:</b> An unroofed coronary sinus (UCS) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly, accounting for less than 1% of atrial septal defects and frequently associated with a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). Its coexistence with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is exceptionally uncommon and has been reported almost exclusively in isolated case reports. <b>Case Presentation:</b> We report the case of a 20-year-old woman with a history of surgically corrected TOF in infancy, who presented with progressive exertional dyspnea. Multimodality imaging, including transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, revealed a large atrial-level shunt caused by a type I unroofed coronary sinus associated with a persistent left superior vena cava, leading to significant right-sided chamber dilation and pulmonary hypertension. Notably, this anomaly had not been identified at the time of the initial TOF repair. The patient underwent a successful surgical correction with interatrial compartmentation and tricuspid annuloplasty, with an uneventful postoperative course. <b>Conclusions:</b> This case underscores the extreme rarity of the UCS-TOF association and highlights the potential for UCSs with PLSVC to remain clinically silent for years after complex congenital heart surgery. A comprehensive reassessment of the systemic venous and atrial anatomy using advanced multimodality imaging is essential in symptomatic adults with repaired TOF, as late-presenting venous anomalies may have significant hemodynamic and clinical implications.
Authors
- Horatiu MOLDOVAN (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2241-279X)
- Cristian Voica
- Oana Gheorghe‐Fronea (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5374-1924)
- Sebastian Onciul (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1729-0126)
- Robert Țigănașu
- Claudia Nica
- Mircea Robu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3599-129X)
- Gabriel-Petre Gorecki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5340-8929)
Institutions
- Titu Maiorescu University (RO)
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO)
- Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest (RO)
- Academia Oamenilor de Știință din România (RO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Life
- Published
- 2026-02-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020342
- Primary Topic
- Vascular anomalies and interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00