Middle cardiac vein
Vena cardiaca media
Also known as: posterior interventricular vein
The middle cardiac vein runs up the posterior interventricular groove beside the posterior interventricular artery and drains the inferior walls of both ventricles into the coronary sinus, close to its opening.
Overview
The middle cardiac vein begins near the apex and ascends in the posterior interventricular sulcus with the posterior interventricular artery. It ends in the coronary sinus near the sinus's opening into the right atrium. It drains the diaphragmatic surfaces of both ventricles and the posterior part of the septum.
Anatomy
- Course
It runs from the apex up the posterior interventricular groove to the end of the coronary sinus.
Function
- Drains the inferior (diaphragmatic) walls of both ventricles and the posterior septum.
Clinical significance
Posteroseptal accessory pathways
Some posteroseptal accessory pathways in Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome are ablated from within the middle cardiac vein.
Compiled from standard anatomy and physiology references — see the Cardiovascular System sources. For education only; not medical advice.