Introduction:

The persistence of the left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common anomaly of the thoracic venous system and may be associated with other cardiac malformations.

Objective:

To describe the echocardiographic characteristics of PLSVC and its relationship with risk factors and associated abnormalities.

Method:

A descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out, in order to contribute to the study of the prenatal diagnosis of PLSVC through the analysis of different indicators. The sample consisted of 62 cases with a prenatal diagnosis of PLSVC, in fetuses between 22 and 35 weeks, examined in the Fetal Echocardiography Department of the Cardiocentro Pediátrico William Soler, during the period from January 2008 to May 2012.

Results:

The PLSVC was associated with congenital heart disease in 33 of the 62 cases. Among these, the most frequent were conotruncal heart defects (38.46%).

Conclusions:

The PLSVC is easily recognized by screening ultrasound and represents an important finding for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease; therefore, given its suspicion -due to its frequent association with congenital heart disease- it is suggested to offer the pregnant woman a detailed evaluation of the fetal heart.

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