Direct Hepatic Vein Connection to Left Atrium Without Congenital Anomaly in Adult Heart Disease

Abstract

Anomalous hepatic venous connection without other cardiac anomalies is a rare condition but does not have high clinical significance. We describe a patient in whom a portion of the left hepatic vein was directly connected to the left atrium, without intracardiac or extracardiac anomalies. A left-to-right shunt with tricuspid regurgitation and atrial fibrillation occurred from right atrial volume overload. Shunt ligation with tricuspid valvuloplasty and a maze procedure were performed as a treatment. This report is meaningful because we describe a case of increased preload caused by a chronic left atrium-hepatic vein shunt that resulted in right-sided heart failure.