Great cardiac vein

Great cardiac vein
Base and diaphragmatic surface of heart. (Great cardiac vein labeled at center left.)
Pulmonary vessels, seen in a dorsal view of the heart and lungs. The lungs have been pulled away from the median line, and a part of the right lung has been cut away to display the air-ducts and bloodvessels (great coronary vein labeled at center bottom).
Details
Drains toCoronary sinus
Identifiers
Latinvena cordis magna,
vena cardiaca magna
TA98A12.3.01.003
TA24159
FMA4707
Anatomical terminology

The great cardiac vein (left coronary vein) is a vein of the heart. It begins at the apex of the heart and ascends along the anterior interventricular sulcus[1] before joining the oblique vein of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus[2] upon the posterior surface of the heart.

Anatomy

Course

The great cardiac vein ascends along the anterior interventricular sulcus[1] to the base of the ventricles.[citation needed] It then curves around the left margin of the heart to reach the posterior surface.[2]

Fate

Upon reaching the posterior surface of the heart,[3] the great cardiac vein merges with the oblique vein of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus.[2][3] At the junction of the great cardiac vein and the coronary sinus, there is typically a valve present. This is the Vieussens valve of the coronary sinus.[2]

Tributaries

The great cardiac vein receives tributaries from the left atrium and from both ventricles: one, the left marginal vein, is of considerable size, and ascends along the left margin of the heart.[citation needed]

References

Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 642 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. ^ a b Morton, David A. (2018). The Big Picture: Gross Anatomy. K. Bo Foreman, Kurt H. Albertine (2nd ed.). New York. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-259-86264-9. OCLC 1044772257.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b c d McAlpine, W. A. (2012). Heart and Coronary Arteries: An Anatomical Atlas for Clinical Diagnosis, Radiological Investigation, and Surgical Treatment. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783642659836.
  3. ^ a b Wilson, Alexander; Bhutta, Beenish S. (2022), "Anatomy, Thorax, Coronary Sinus", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32491498, retrieved 2023-01-05