title: Innervation of pulmonary veins: morphologic pattern and pathways of nerves in the human fetus.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the anatomy of intrinsic nerves supplying human pulmonary veins (PVs). Twenty-two hearts of human fetuses with full sets of PVs were examined using a histochemical method for acetylcholinesterase in order to stain transmurally intrinsic neural structures on non-sectioned PVs for subsequent stereomicroscopic examination. Findings of the study demonstrate that epicardiac nerve extensions from both the dorsal right atrial and the middle dorsal subplexuses reached the right superior as well as the right inferior PVs, whereas the left superior PV was supplied by nerve extensions from the left dorsal subplexus. The left and middle dorsal subplexuses contributed nerves to the left inferior PV. The ganglia related topographically to PVs were patchy in distribution. On the left and right superior PVs, 38+/-6 and 31+/-3 ganglia were found, respectively, whereas 46+/-7 and 38+/-7 ganglia were identified on the left and right inferior PVs. The size of ganglia was similar for all four veins, ranging in area from 0.004+/-0.0003 to 0.007+/-0.0004 mm(2). The total area of ganglia distributed on a given PV was similar, ranging from 0.15+/-0.0003 to 0.25+/-0.0004 mm(2). The present findings demonstrate that the richest ganglion sites supplying intrinsic nerves to the human PVs are located on the posterior sides of both inferior and the left superior PVs and, therefore, these sites may be considered primary targets for focal pulmonary vein ablation in catheter-based therapy of atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy, Kaunas University of Medicine, Mickeviciaus Street 9, Kaunas LT-44307, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Raimundas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vaitkevicius
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saburkina
authors.forename: Remigijus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zaliunas
authors.forename: Neringa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pauziene
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vaitkeviciene
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schauerte
authors.forename: Dainius H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pauza
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D001344:Autopsy; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000196:embryology*; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000196:embryology / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000196:embryology* / Q000294:innervation*