Umbilical vein draining into the inferior vena cava via the internal iliac vein, bypassing the liver

Abstract

This is the third report of an anomalous umbilical vein draining ectopically in a left pelvic vein, probably the left internal iliac, and through the inferior vena cava into the right atrium. The anomaly was encountered in a newborn infant with nonimmune hydrops fetalis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, multiorgan failure and possibly Noonan Syndrome.

Absent Ductus venosus in the Fetus: Review of the Literature and First Report of Direct Umbilical Venous Drainage to the Coronary Sinus

“…The pathophysiologic consequences are similar. Both conditions were described in Noonan's syndrome [3][4][5].…”

“…Persistent right UV was first described in 1826 by Mende [6]. Since then there have been several descriptions of the anomaly [1,3], some of them associated with Noonan's syndrome [4]. DV agenesis was first reported by Paltauf [7] in 1888.…”

Umbilical vein anomaly in fetuses with Down syndrome

“…The recent advent of modern, high‐resolution ultrasound machines combined with color Doppler has enhanced our ability to detect and describe venous anomalies in utero 1–5. Although rare, UPVS anomalies are often associated with structural anomalies, in particular cardiac defects6, as well as various genetic syndromes, such as Noonan and Goldenhar syndromes7, 8, and associations with aneuploidy and chromosomal aberrations have been found2, 9. The association with Down syndrome was first reported in 1992 by Kieran et al 10, who described a newborn with trisomy 21 and a direct communication between the right portal vein and the inferior vena cava (IVC).…”

Defining umbilical cord blood stem cells

“…Once inside the fetus, the vein of the umbilical cord splits into two branches, one joins the hepatic portal vein, which directs blood to the liver and the second allows the majority of blood to bypass the liver and directs it to the fetal heart via the left hepatic vein and inferior vena cava. The umbilical cord arteries branch from the fetal internal iliac artery, which is the main artery in the pelvic area [17].…”