Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) is a rare congenital cardiac defect. As the name suggests, in PAPVC, the blood flow from a few of the pulmonary veins return to the right atrium instead of the left atrium. Usually, a single pulmonary vein is anomalous. Rarely, all the veins from one lung are anomalous. Thus, some of the pulmonary venous flow enters the systemic venous circulation.

MRI provides noninvasive volumetric anatomic data and enables evaluation of systemic veins, as well as the number, origin, course, and drainage of all pulmonary veins, including anomalous connections or obstruction. MRI also quantifies ventricular volumes and evaluates the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary trunk, sites of stenosis, pulmonary artery conduits or branch pulmonary arteries.

In this case, MRI of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return quantifies any shunt, patency, and ventricular systolic function.

Although pulmonary venous developmental anomalies have been evaluated traditionally with echocardiography and angiography, MRI is playing an increasing role in their characterization.