Anatomical characteristics of the pulmonary vein ostia in the heart of human adults
https://doi.org/10.24884/1607-4181-2025-32-4-90-96
Abstract
Introduction. The number, shape, and size of the pulmonary vein (PV) orifices together form anatomical variants that may be associated with atrial arrhythmias and require personalized diagnostic and surgical tactics.
The objective to provide an anatomical description of the number, shape, and size of the pulmonary vein orifices in the wall of the left atrium in human adults.
Methods and materials. We studied 54 heart atrial specimens obtained from middle-aged and elderly humans who died from non-cardiac diseases. We modeled the diastole of the left atrium (LA) by filling it with silicone. After the silicone hardened, the walls were dissected. We measured the short and long diameters of each orifice with a digital caliper, calculated the area of the orifices using the formulas. The Mann – Whitney U-test and Spearman correlation (Rs) were used.
Results. In 90.7 %, each of the four PVs flowing into LA had its own orifice. In 9.3 %, the atrial roof bore three PV orifices: two orifices of the right PVs and a common orifice of the left PVs. Oval orifices were more common for the left PVs than for the right ones. The orifice areas of the left superior (median 135.6 mm2) and right inferior PVs (median 136.2 mm2) were larger than the area of the left inferior PV (median 103.5 mm2), but smaller than the orifice area of the right superior PV (median 152.2 mm2). Analysis revealed moderate correlations between the values of the area of the right inferior PV orifice, the heart length (Rs 0.37) and mass (Rs 0.43). The area values of the other three PVs orifices correlated with the LA width (Rs 0.35).
Conclusion. In middle-aged and elderly humans who died from non-cardiac diseases, LA posterior wall commonly exhibited two right and two left PV orifices of different areas, rather oval than round.
About the Authors
A. A. Gaponov
Ural State Medical University; Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
Gaponov Anton A., Assistant of the Department of Human Anatomy; Engineer of the Educational Laboratory of Medical and Biological Physics
3 Repina str., Yekaterinburg, 620028;
19, Mira str., Yekaterinburg, Russia, 620002
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
A. A. Iakimov
Ural State Medical University; Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
Iakimov Andrei A., Cand. of Sci (Med.), Associate Professor; Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
3 Repina str., Yekaterinburg, 620028;
19, Mira str., Yekaterinburg, Russia, 620002
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
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25.
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For citations:
Gaponov A.A., Iakimov A.A. Anatomical characteristics of the pulmonary vein ostia in the heart of human adults. The Scientific Notes of the Pavlov University. 2025;32(4):90-96. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24884/1607-4181-2025-32-4-90-96
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