The Venous Drainage of the Human Myocardium

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Goal of CS Catheterization.- 1.2 Objective of the Study.- 2 The Organization of the Cardiac Venous Systems.- 2.1 The Greater (Major) Cardiac Venous System.- 2.2 The Smaller (Minor) Cardiac Venous System.- 2.3 The Compound Form of Cardiac Venous Vessels: Intramural Sinuses and Tunnels.- 3 Nomenclatur.- 3.1 English and Latin Versions.- 3.2 Abbreviations.- 3.3 Commonly Used Unofficial or Alternative Terms and Synonyms for the Cardiac Veins.- 4 Microanatomy of the Coronary Sinus.- 4.1 Anatomy, Position, and Topography.- 4.2 Surface Anatomy.- 4.3 Length and Shape.- 4.4 Diameter, Area of Cross-Section, Circumference, and Volume.- 4.5 Elevation, Curvature, and Ostial Angle.- 4.6 The Ostial Valve.- 4.7 Enlargement of the CS, Aneurysm of the CS.- 4.8 Enlargement of the CS Associated with Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava.- 4.9 Enlargement of the CS Associated with Ostial Occlusion.- 4.10 Duplication of the CS (Sinus Coronarius 'Duplex').- 4.11 Absence of the CS.- 5 The Myocardial Cover of the Coronary Sinus and Related Veins.- 5.1 The Myocardial Cover of the CS.- 5.2 The Left (Distal) Boundary of the Myocardial Coat of the CS and the Myocardial Cuff of the Terminal GCV.- 5.3 The Right (Proximal) Boundary of the Myocardial Coat of the CS.- 5.4 Isolated Myocardial Belts in the Terminal Portions of Other Cardiac Veins.- 5.5 'Free' Myocardial Cords in the Left Posterior Coronary Sulcus.- 5.6 The Proximal Origin of the CS and Its Landmarks.- 6 The Anatomy of the Veins Draining the Myocardium of Both Ventricles.- 6.1 The Ventricular Cardiac Veins in General.- 6.2 Frequency and Distribution Pattern of the Tributaries of the CS.- 6.3 The Great Cardiac Vein and the Anterior Interventricular Vein.- 6.4 S-Shaped (Sigmoid) Course of the Great Cardiac Vein.- 6.5Intramyocardial Course of, or Myocardial Bridge Over, the Subepicardial Veins.- 6.6 Aberrant Course of the Anterior Interventricular Part of the Great Cardiac Vein.- 6.7 The Ostial (Terminal) Valve of the Great Cardiac Vein.- 6.8 The Oblique Vein of the Left Atrium.- 6.9 The Posterior Interventricular Vein.- 6.10 The Septal Veins.- 6.11 The Posterior Vein(s) of the Left Ventricle.- 6.12 The Small Cardiac Vein.- 6.13 The Left Marginal Vein.- 6.14 The Right Marginal Vein.- 6.15 The Anterior Cardiac Veins.- 6.16 The Venous Drainage of the Papillary Muscles.- 6.17 The Ostial Valves of Cardiac Veins.- 6.18 The Relationships Between Cardiac Veins and Coronary Arteries.- 6.19 The Veins of the Visceral Serosa.- 6.20 Venous Anastomoses.- 6.21 The Veins of the Vasa Vasorum of the Coronary Arteries, Aorta Ascendens and Pulmonary Trunk.- 7 The Anatomy of Veins Draining the Myocardium of Both Atria.- 7.1 The Veins of the Left Atrium.- 7.2 The Veins of the Right Atrium.- 8 The Significance of the Coronary Sinus and Cardiac Veins in Cardiology.- 8.1 The Anatomical Basis for Reperfusion of the CS and Selected Cardiac Veins and Imaging of the Coronary Venous Drainage System Using CT.- 8.2 Anatomical Peculiarities Supporting Venous Reperfusion via the CS.- 8.3 Anatomical Hindrances to Catheterization of the CS and of Cardiac Veins.- 9 The Cardiac Venous System Seen Three-Dimensionally: An Arrangement of Veins Which Favors Reperfusion Efficacy.- 9.1 The Efficiency of Ostial Valves.- 9.2 Prospect.- 10 Summary.- References.