Great cardiac vein
Updates to Article Attributes
The great cardiac vein (GCV) runs in the anterior interventricular groove and drains the anterior aspect of the heart.
Gross anatomy
It is a vein on the anterior surface of the heart, which where it is the venous complement of the left anterior descending artery within the anterior interventricular groove. It is athe main tributary of the coronary sinus.
Gross anatomy
It begins on the anterior surface of the heart near the apex where small tributaries of the great cardiac vein anastomose with tributaries of the middle cardiac vein. It ascends in the anterior interventricular groove with the left anterior descending artery. At the coronary sulcus it turns left, to runs alongside the circumflex artery in the left atrioventricular groove to drain into the left end (origin) of the coronary sinus.
Relations
The relationship of the great cardiac vein to the left anterior descending artery is highly variable. In 60-70% of cases, the vein is superficial to the artery.
Drainage
The vein drains the:
- anterior surface of
boththe right and left ventricles (up to and including the apex) - anterior interventricular septum
- portions of the left atrium
Variant anatomy
- the vein may drain directly into the right atrium or azygous vein
- there may be aneurysmal dilatation of the great cardiac vein
- occurs in ~1.5% of cardiac CT studies, second most common coronary vein aneurysm
Knowledge of variants may be useful for preoperative planning.
Fun fact
As the great cardiac vein turns left at the coronary sulcus, it runs adjacent to the LCx with blood in each vessel flowing in the same direction, which is, to say the least, peculiar!
-<p>The <strong>great cardiac vein</strong> <strong>(GCV)</strong> runs in the anterior interventricular groove and drains the anterior aspect of the <a href="/articles/heart">heart</a>.</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>It is a vein on the anterior surface of the heart, which is the venous complement of the <a href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a> within the anterior interventricular groove. It is a tributary of the <a href="/articles/coronary-sinus">coronary sinus</a>.</p><h5>Relations</h5><p>The relationship of the great cardiac vein to the left anterior descending artery is highly variable. In 60-70% of cases, the vein is superficial to the artery.</p><h5>Drainage</h5><p>The vein drains the:</p><ul>-<li>anterior surface of both ventricles (up to and including the apex)</li>- +<p>The <strong>great cardiac vein</strong> <strong>(GCV)</strong> runs in the anterior interventricular groove and drains the anterior aspect of the <a href="/articles/heart">heart</a> where it is the venous complement of the <a href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a>. It is the main tributary of the <a href="/articles/coronary-sinus">coronary sinus</a>. </p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>It begins on the anterior surface of the heart near the apex where small tributaries of the great cardiac vein anastomose with tributaries of the <a href="/articles/middle-cardiac-vein">middle cardiac vein</a>. It ascends in the anterior interventricular groove with the <a href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a><em>. </em>At the coronary sulcus it turns left, to runs alongside the <a title="Circumflex artery" href="/articles/circumflex-artery">circumflex artery</a> in the left atrioventricular groove to drain into the left end (origin) of the coronary sinus.</p><h5>Relations</h5><p>The relationship of the great cardiac vein to the left anterior descending artery is highly variable. In 60-70% of cases, the vein is superficial to the artery.</p><h5>Drainage</h5><p>The vein drains the:</p><ul>
- +<li>anterior surface of the <a title="Right ventricle" href="/articles/right-ventricle">right</a> and <a title="Left ventricle" href="/articles/left-ventricle">left ventricles</a> (up to and including the apex)</li>
-</ul><p>Knowledge of variants may be useful for preoperative planning.</p>- +</ul><p>Knowledge of variants may be useful for preoperative planning.</p><h4>Fun fact</h4><p>As the great cardiac vein turns left at the coronary sulcus, it runs adjacent to the LCx with blood in each vessel flowing in the same direction, which is, to say the least, peculiar!</p>
References changed:
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1451119453">Read it at Google Books</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451119453">Find it at Amazon</a><span class="auto"></span>
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN044304662X">Read it at Google Books</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044304662X">Find it at Amazon</a><span class="auto"></span>
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