Eustachian valve

Changed by Matt A. Morgan, 8 Nov 2014

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The Eustachian valve (also known as the "valve of the inferior vena cava") is a ridge of variable thickness in the inferior right atrium. It is a remnant of a fetal structure that directed incoming oxygenated blood to the foramen ovale and away from the right atrium.

Incomplete regression of this structure results in a thickened ~~valve~~ridge at the IVC/RA junction, which can occasionally be thick enough to mimic thrombus or a right atrial mass on echocardiography, cardiac CT, or cardiac MRI.

A thickened Eustachian valve may also interfere with placement of an atrial septal defect / patent foramen ovale closure device.

-The Eustachian valve (also known as the "valve of the <a title="Inferior vena cava (IVC)" href="/articles/inferior-vena-cava-1">inferior vena cava</a>") is a ridge of variable thickness in the inferior right atrium. It is a remnant of a fetal structure that directed incoming oxygenated blood to the foramen ovale and away from the right atrium. Incomplete regression of this structure results in a thickened valve at the IVC/RA junction, which can occasionally be thick enough to mimic thrombus or a right atrial mass on echocardiography, cardiac CT, or cardiac MRI.A thickened Eustachian valve may also interfere with placement of an <a title="Atrial septal defect (ASD)" href="/articles/atrial-septal-defect-2">atrial septal defect</a> / <a title="Patent foramen ovale" href="/articles/patent-foramen-ovale">patent foramen ovale</a> closure device.
+The Eustachian valve (also known as the "valve of the <a href="/articles/inferior-vena-cava-1">inferior vena cava</a>") is a ridge of variable thickness in the inferior right atrium. It is a remnant of a fetal structure that directed incoming oxygenated blood to the foramen ovale and away from the right atrium. Incomplete regression of this structure results in a thickened ridge at the IVC/RA junction, which can occasionally be thick enough to mimic thrombus or a right atrial mass on echocardiography, cardiac CT, or cardiac MRI.A thickened Eustachian valve may also interfere with placement of an <a href="/articles/atrial-septal-defect-2">atrial septal defect</a> / <a href="/articles/patent-foramen-ovale">patent foramen ovale</a> closure device.

References changed:

1. Broderick LS, Brooks GN, Kuhlman JE. Anatomic pitfalls of the heart and pericardium. Radiographics. 2005;25 (2): 441-53. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1148/rg.252045075">doi:10.1148/rg.252045075</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15798062">Pubmed citation</a>
2. Kydd AC, McNab D, Calvert PA et-al. The eustachian ridge: not an innocent bystander. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2014;7 (10): 1062-3. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2014.02.011">doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2014.02.011</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25323168">Pubmed citation</a>

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