Acquired collateral venous pathways in a dog with cranial vena cava obstruction

An 8-year-old neutered female Yorkshire terrier with mediastinal neoplasm and subsequent cranial vena cava invasion developed multiple venous collaterals from the brachiocephalic venous trunks to the caudal vena cava. Collateral venous pathways have been described in dogs with obstruction or increased blood flow resistance of the caudal vena cava but cranial vena cava collaterals have not been reported until now in veterinary patients. In this report, the CTA characteristics of such peculiar vascular routes are described and compared to similar findings reported in human medical literature. The recognition of such ancillary CT finding could help radiologists to reach a more accurate diagnosis of superior vena cava syndrome.