Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Implications of Remnants of the Right Valve of the Sinus Venosus

Abstract

Anatomic variants of the remnants of the right valve of the sinus venosus in adults are common and usually observed on cardiac imaging studies. Because the anatomy and function of these vestiges are not well known, errors may occur in the differential diagnosis and treatment of patients with unclear images in the right atrium. Clinical implications may arise from (1) differential diagnosis with some diseases, especially when the remnants act as sites of attachment for masses; (2) the need for invasive treatment if the anatomic variant displays obstructive behavior; (3) the association between remnants and patent foramen ovale; and (4) secondary complications related to these structures in invasive procedures. Thus, the aim of this review is to provide cardiologists and radiologists specializing in cardiac imaging techniques with the basic anatomic information and clinical implications required to understand morphologic variants of right sinus venosus valve vestiges in adults.

Keywords: Chiari network; Cor triatriatum dexter; Eustachian valve; Thebesian valve.