Venous Drainage of Heart

 Name the veins of heart.

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The venous blood from the heart is drained by three system of veins:

1. Coronary sinus : its tributaries are
   • great cardiac vein
   • middle cardiac vein
   • small cardiac vein
   • Oblique vein of left atrium
2.  Anterior cardiac veins
3. Venae cordis minimae

Describe briefly Coronary sinus and its tributaries.

• Coronary sinus drains most of       the venous blood from the heart.
•  It is a short, wide venous cannel about 2.5cm. long and lies in the posterior part of the coronary sulcus.
• Its left end is continuous with the great cardiac vein.
• Its right end opens in the right atrium of the heart between the openings of inferior vena-cava and right atrioventricular orifice.

• Tributaries of coronary sinus

• Great cardiac vein – it is the largest tributary of coronary sinus and  lies along the anterior interventricular sulcus . It winds around the left margin of the heart and drains at the left end of the coronary  sinus. 
• Middle cardiac vein –  lies along the posterior interventricular sulcus. It joins the coronary sinus at its right end.
• Small cardiac vein – it begin at the inferior border of the heart ( called right marginal vein) and then lies along the right posterior coronary sulcus. It drains in the coronary sinus at its right end.
• Oblique vein of the left atrium or oblique vein of Marshall – it descends on the posterior wall of the left atrium and joins coronary sinus at its left end.
• Posterior veinofleft ventricle-it lies on the diaphragmatic surface of left ventricle.

Which part of  the heart  is drained by Anterior cardiac veins and where do they open?

• Anterior cardiac veins are 2-3  small veins, that drain blood from the anterior aspect of right ventricle.
• They open into the right atrium.

What are venae cordis minimae?

• Venae cordis minimae are very small veins  present is each chamber of the heart.
•  They drain venous blood from the endocardium and deep part of myocardium.
•  They open directly into  respective chamber of  the heart.