Comparative anatomy and angiography of the cardiac coronary venous system in four species: human, ovine, porcine, and canine.

Abstract

Introduction: The heart’s arterial system has been the subject of much more careful investigation than its venous system, due to the many direct implications of human coronary arterial disease. The advent of new treatment options including biventricular pacing and the development of new medical devices has brought the venous system more into the limelight. The aim of this study was to compare the organization of the coronary venous circulation in three species commonly used in cardiac research and to correlate it with normal human anatomy through macroscopic and angiographic studies. Animals and Methods: Five explanted hearts from clinically normal humans, pigs, sheep, and dogs were studied macroscopically for the anatomical study. Angiography was performed on ten explanted from pigs, sheep and dogs and 10 clinically normal human angiographic studies were examined. Results: The general organization of the coronary sinus described in humans is found in the three animal species studied. However, some significant differences were identified: the absence of the left atrial oblique (Marshall) vein in all animal species, different position and organization of valves, vessel diameter, number of tributary veins and the presence of an anastomosis between the left and right (or anterior and posterior in the human species) venous tree. Conclusion: The present study is the only comparative study to describe the similarities and differences in anatomy of the coronary venous system of the heart between humans and commonly used animal models for cardiac research and provides a baseline for further research both in human and veterinary patients.