title: [Morphologic study of the pulmonary veins by magnetic resonance angiography].
abstract: Accurate knowledge of the anatomy of the pulmonary veins is important in clinical electrophysiology. In order to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance angiography for this purpose, we studied 17 unselected patients. All the pulmonary veins were visualized in each individual. The diameters of the ostia ranged between 9 mm and 22 mm. The cross-section of the ostium was elliptical in 35% of cases. In 14 patients (82%), the 4 veins each had independent drainage. In 2 patients (12%), there was an additional intermediate right vein and, in 1 patient (6%), both left veins had a common ostium. In 74% of patients, the right pulmonary veins had a short common trunk with early branching. This pattern was seen in only 10% of left veins. Magnetic resonance angiography using a contrast medium is an excellent technique for studying the anatomy of the pulmonary veins and for identifying variants. The resulting information is potentially useful for electrophysiologists.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. fcarreras@santpau.es
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guillaumet
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pujadas
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Salguero
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ligero
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leta
authors.forename: Guillem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons-Lladó
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000473:pathology*