Objective: To alert the radiologist to CT findings that suggest the correct diagnosis of anomalous left brachiocephalic vein.
Materials and methods: The authors report two cases of anomalous left brachiocephalic vein diagnosed by spiral CT and CT angiography.
Results: Spiral CT accurately depicted an anomalous left brachiocephalic vein, which ran between the ascending aorta and the trachea within the mediastinum to reach the right superior vena cava just below the entrance of the azygos vein.
Conclusion: Spiral CT combined with CT angiography is a very useful and minimally invasive technique in the diagnosis of this anomalous vein.