Atresia of the common pulmonary vein

A newborn girl with atresia of the common pulmonary vein, presented immediately after birth with severe cyanosis and acidosis. The diagnosis of totally obstructed total pulmonary venous return was made by cross-sectional echocardiography. Subsequent cardiac catheterization failed to demonstrate the site of pulmonary venous return. Necropsy showed the pulmonary veins to be connected bilaterally to an atretic common pulmonary vein. There was no obvious alternative pathway for pulmonary venous return.