Tricuspid Valve - Right Atrium

This right cephalad view of the right atrium allows for demonstration of the detailed structure of this chamber. The superior vena cava (SVC) leads to its inflow portion into the atrium also called the sinus venarum (SV). (A thebesian vein noticeable in this illustration). Just caudal to the sinus venarum the limbus of the Fossa Ovalis (FO) clearly delineated the fossa. The opening of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is just caudal and somewhat dorsal to the fossa, and it is cleraly flanked by a noticeable ridge whic forms the Eustachian valve (EV). Caudal and medial to the eustachian valve is the Thebesial valve (ThV) which demarcates the opening the coronary sinus (CS) into the right atrium. The asterisk (*) indicates a bulge of the aortic root into the anterior wall of the right atrium, this bulge is termed the torus aorticus.

The the septal and part of the posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve are shown. Notice that most of the chordae tendineae of the septal leaflet are anchored intotrabeculae carneae of the right aspect of hte interventricular septum rather that to well formed papillary muscles.

The cirsta supraventricularis (CSV) has been sectioned in this image, but its base is shown. This structure physically sparated the tricuspid and pulmonic valves (in contrast to the continuity that exists between the mitral and the aortic valves. The right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) leads to the pulmonic valve and in turn this leads to the pulmonary artery (PA) trunk, which divides into the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and left pulmonoary artery (LPA).

The root of the aorta is clearly illustrated occupying a central position just dorsal and to the right of the pulmonary artery. The ostia of the the left coronary (LC) and right coronary (RC) arteries are shown at their origin from their respective coronary sinuses.

A cephalad view demonstrating the variability of the morphology of the tricuspid valve is seen here.

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