Anomalous pulmonary venous drainage associated with mitral valve disease

Four cases of mitral stenosis associated with anomalous pulmonary venous return are described. In two of these cases there was severe mitral regurgitation as well. A pulmonary arteriovenous shunt was also found in one of these. A review of the records of patients admitted for cardiac catheterization revealed that in 0.42 per cent of the cases of mitral valve disease and 5.7 per cent of the cases of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, both conditions were associated. The clinical, roentgenologic, electrocardiographic, and vectorcardiographic findings were predominantly characterized by the mitral valve disease. In every case, the diagnosis was established at cardiac catheterization. Hemodynamic studies were performed. These indicated that the circulatory consequences of the mitral valve disease were only little influenced by the anomalous pulmonary venous return