Q26: Congenital malformations of great veins
Q26.1: Persistent left superior vena cava
The vena cava are large blood vessels. They collect oxygen-poor blood from the body and carry it back to the heart. There is a superior and inferior vena cava. The superior vena cava is normally located on the right side of the chest. You also have a superior vena cava on the left side of your chest.
An extra superior vena cava does not usually result in any symptoms. However, the extra vena cava may make the blood flow into the heart in a different location than normal, resulting in the blood being pumped directly back into the body, rather than first being pumped into the lungs as normal. This means that the body may not be adequately supplied with oxygen. This may cause you to have reduced stamina or experience shortness of breath, for example.
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