What is Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR)?
The pulmonary veins are the four blood vessels (two on each side) that return oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR) is a rare congenital malformation in which all four pulmonary veins do not connect normally to the left atrium. Instead all four pulmonary veins drain abnormally to the right atrium by way of an abnormal (anomalous) connection. Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return is classified into different types, based how and where the pulmonary veins drain to the heart: A. Supracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return — The pulmonary veins drain to the right atrium via the superior vena cava. In this type of TAPVR, the pulmonary veins first come together behind the heart and then drain upwards to an abnormal “vertical vein.” This vertical vein joins the innominate vein which connects to the right superior vena cava and drains to the right atrium. B. Cardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return –
