Duplication of the superior vena cava associated with atrial termination of the left hepatic vein.

Duplication of the superior vena cava (SVC), associated with an aberrant left hepatic vein (LHV), was found in one of the 58 dissected specimens. The right SVC virtually showed a typical appearance. The persistent left SVC, which drained into the right atrium via the enlarged coronary sinus, was formed by the persistence of the left anterior cardinal vein. The LHV opened into the right atrium, due to the persistent left hepatocardiac channel. The left common carotid artery arose from the brachiocephalic trunk as a consequence of a regression of the embryonic aortic sac. The revealed venous and arterial variations seem to be the first reported vascular combination of this type.