Cardiac veins
Venae cardiacae
- Latin synonym: Venae cordis
- Synonym: Veins of heart
- Related terms: Veins of heart
Definition
The primary cardiac veins include the coronary sinus (CS), great cardiac vein (GCV), inferior vein of left ventricle, oblique vein of left atrium, middle cardiac vein (MCV), small cardiac vein (SCV), and the anterior cardiac veins (with anterior interventricular vein (AIV)).
The coronary sinus is the largest cardiac vein and drains most of the venous blood from the myocardium into the right atrium. It is located in the posterior part of the coronary sulcus.
The great cardiac vein runs alongside the anterior interventricular artery and drains the areas of the heart supplied by the left coronary artery.
The middle cardiac vein runs in the posterior interventricular sulcus and drains into the coronary sinus.
The small cardiac vein runs along the right margin of the heart and also drains into the coronary sinus.
Additionally, the anterior cardiac veins drain the right ventricle directly into the right atrium, bypassing the coronary sinus. The posterior vein of the left ventricle and the left marginal vein are other significant tributaries that drain into the coronary sinus.
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