Great cardiac vein | |
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![]() 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 to | Coronary sinus |
Identifiers | |
Latin | vena cordis magna, vena cardiaca magna |
TA98 | A12.3.01.003 |
TA2 | 4159 |
FMA | 4707 |
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.
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]
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]
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 ]
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 642 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
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