Cesmebasi, Alper

Étienne‐Arthur Louis Fallot (1850–1911) is one of the most significant medical figures of the 19th century with an eponymous congenital cardiac malformation. His initial account of the four anatomical features making up his tetralogy proved remarkably significant in the progression of clinical descriptions of the lesions producing cyanotic congenital cardiac disease. Although subsequently the cause of appreciable controversy, the accuracy of his initial descriptions underscore the current diagnostic and therapeutic approach to the malformation now known uniformly as tetralogy of Fallot. Clin. Anat. 27:958–963, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anomalies in the course and drainage of the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) may complicate normal functioning, correct diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions within the abdomen. Development of the IVC occurs during the 4th to 8th week of gestation, and due to its developmental complexity, there are many opportunities for malformations to occur. Although most IVC anomalies are clinically silent and are usually discovered incidentally on abdominal imaging, aberrations may be responsible for formation of thrombosis, back pain, and anomalous circulation of blood to the heart. In this review, we will discuss the most common variations and abnormalities of the IVC, which include the posterior cardinal veins, the subcardinal veins, the supracardinal veins, persistent left IVC, IVC duplication, situs inversus, left retroaortic renal vein, left circumaortic renal collar, scimitar syndrome, and IVC agenesis. For each abnormality outlined above, we aim to discuss relevant embryology and potential clinical significance with regards to presentation, diagnosis, and treatment as is important for radiologists, surgeons, and clinicians in current clinical practice. Clin. Anat. 27:1234–1243, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.