Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR)
Posted in Interventional Radiology on August 04, 2010 by m.khodeer
Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (supracardiac type)
TAPVR exists when all pulmonary veins connect anomalously. The venous return may be obstructed or nonobstructed.
Also referred to as Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC).
Types of TAPVR:
Supracardiac (50%)
- Infrequently associated with obstruction.
- Portal veins connect to a left vertical vein or azygous vein
Cardiac (360%)
- Pulmonary veins connect to the right atrium or coronary sinus
Infracardiac (15%)
- Pulmonary veins connect to a vein below the diaphragm
Mixed (5%)

Clinical:
- Symptoms depends on presence or absence of obstruction
- Obstructed: Pulmonary edema within several days after birth
- Nonobstructed: asymptomatic at birth. CHF develops during first month.
Hemodynamics:
Unobstructed Pulmonary vein
- Causes a complete L-R shunt at atrial level
- To sustain life, an obligatory R-L shunt must be present. Pulmonary flow is greatly increased leading to dilation of RA, RV, PA.
Obstructed Pulmonary Vein
- Pulmonary venous htn and pulmonary arterial htn
- Pulmonary edema
- Diminshed pulmonary return to heart resulting in low cardiac output
Radiographic Features
Nonobstructed TAPVC
- Snowman Heart in supracardiac types; the supracardiac shadow results from dilated right SVC, vertical vein , and innominate vein
- Snowman configuration not seen with other types
- Increased pulmonary vascularity
Obstructd TAPVC
- Pulmonary edema
- small heart
Infracardiac TAPVR
