Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: December | Volume: 6 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 581-589
A Morphometric Study of Pulmonary Veins and Their Openings in the Left Atrium in Cadavers of Eastern Indian Population
Tanushree Mondal1, Oyndrila Sengupta2
1Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine and Assistant Director of Medical Education, Government of West Bengal.
2Demonstrator, Department of Anatomy, Calcutta National Medical College.
Corresponding Author: Oyndrila Sengupta
ABSTRACT
Background: Knowledge about the variations in number and drainage pattern is helpful as pulmonary veins are an important source of ectopic atrial electrical activity, frequently initiating paroxysms of atrial fibrillation.
Aims and objectives: This study will show the variation of number, drainage pattern of pulmonary veins draining at the left atrium and their variations with respect to age and gender, in heart samples obtained from cadavers.
Methods: 100 specimen of human heart with stumps of great vessels were collected from Anatomy and Forensic departments of IPGME&R and SSKM hospital. The number of right and left pulmonary veins draining into the left atrium was observed in the formalin preserved heart samples from the external aspect. The left atrium was opened by an incision along the left side of the left pulmonary veins of the heart to see the drainage pattern of the pulmonary veins. The distances between the approximate mid-point of limbus fossa ovalis on inter-atrial septum and each pulmonary venous opening were measured.
Result: During describing the drainage pattern the coefficient of variation for the distance of openings of male left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) is 0.92%, and that of female LSPV is 0.87%. Unpaired t-test shows the P value <0.05 and therefore the means are significantly different.
Conclusion: The results obtained from data recorded showed that 10% specimens had single left pulmonary venous opening, and 10% had single right pulmonary venous opening. Rest of the specimens had normal four pulmonary venous openings.
Key words: Pulmonary venous opening, atrial fibrillation, radiofrequency catheter ablation.
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