Persistent left superior vena cava identified when placing a hemodialysis catheter

A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common thoracic venous anomaly. It is a persistent remanant of the left anterior cardinal vein that usually disappears in early embriological development as a result of compresion between the left atrium and the hilium of the left lung. If it is not associated with other congenial cardiac anomalies it is usually asymptomatic but has important clinical implications in some situations. In this article, we describe a patiente with bilateral SVC identified on a chest radiograph by a haemodyalisis central venous catheter passing through it.