CT scans in four cases of chronic superior vena cava or left brachiocephalic vein obstruction demonstrate a systemic-to-cardiac collateral venous pathway through anastomoses between the pericardial branches of systemic veins and the presumed adventitial veins of the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. These adventitial veins then drain into tributaries of the anterior cardiac veins or ventricular coronary veins.
Aged ; Brachiocephalic Veins/*abnormalities/*radiography ; Collateral Circulation ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome/*radiography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Identification of certain abnormalities of the chest wall can be extremely helpful in correctly diagnosing a number of syndromic conditions and systemic diseases. Additionally, chest wall abnormalities may sometimes constitute diagnoses by themselves. In the present pictorial essay, we review a number of such conditions and provide illustrative cases that were retrospectively identified from our clinical imaging database. These include pentalogy of Cantrell, Klippel-Feil syndrome, cleidocranial dysplasia, Poland syndrome, osteopetrosis, neurofibromatosis type 1, Marfan syndrome, Gardner syndrome, systemic sclerosis, relapsing polychondritis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, ankylosing spondylitis, hyperparathyroidism, rickets, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, tuberculosis, septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint, elastofibroma dorsi, and sternal dehiscence.
Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Cleidocranial Dysplasia ; Diagnosis ; Gardner Syndrome ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Klippel-Feil Syndrome ; Marfan Syndrome ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Osteopetrosis ; Pentalogy of Cantrell ; Poland Syndrome ; Polychondritis, Relapsing ; Retrospective Studies ; Rickets ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Sternoclavicular Joint ; Thalassemia ; Thoracic Wall ; Tuberculosis