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Ventricular venous anatomy may be abnormal in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries
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Abnormalities in the ventricular venous anatomy may occur in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.
The findings of a recent retrospective study suggest that this transposition may follow the morphologic right ventricle. The researchers wrote that “large intraventricular and Thebesian veins may offer options for percutaneous lead or catheter placement when approaching the systemic right ventricle.”
The aim of the study was to characterize the venous anatomy in 56 hearts with a diagnosis of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.
Due to slicing, the coronary sinus was unidentifiable in five hearts. It was not possible to assess the Thebesian veins in 16 hearts.
The study conducted using specimens identified from the Mayo Clinic pathology database.
An abnormal coronary sinus was observed in seven hearts. In two of those hearts, atretic ostia was observed, and in the other five, either an abnormal ostial location or multiple ostia were reported.
In 28 hearts, at least one Thebesian vein with an ostial opening >1 mm was observed.
Among 12 hearts with unidentifiable Thebesian veins, all had venous collaterals from the right ventricle to the major cardiac veins.
Epicardial veins extended to the proximal third of the right ventricular in 71%; those veins extended to the middle third in 23% and to the distal third in 6%.
Bottega NA. Heart Rhythm. 2009;6:1450-1456.