The sinuses of Valsalva, also known as aortic sinuses, are the anatomic spaces at the aortic root bounded internally by the aortic valve leaflets and externally by outward bulges of the aortic wall.
The normal sinus diameter upper limit is usually taken as 40 mm (with some publications suggesting 36 mm for females) 1.
In typical anatomy, there are three sinuses:
- right coronary or anterior
- gives rise to right coronary artery
- left coronary or left posterior
- gives rise to left main coronary artery
- noncoronary/posterior or right posterior
The former terms are used routinely in clinical vernacular, while the latter are used in some anatomic texts 2. When there are congenital coronary artery anomalies, however, the traditional anatomic descriptors may be less confusing.
When the term coronary sinus is used in conjunction with a modifier (e.g. left or right), it should not be confused for the venous coronary sinus.
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