title: Normal anatomy and variants of the venous cardiac system in MDCT coronary angiography.
abstract: Three separate venous systems drain the blood returning from the heart walls. These veins are characterised by remarkable variability in terms of frequency, size and course. The knowledge of cardiac venous anatomy is of primary importance during interventional cardiac procedures that require catheterisation of cardiac veins. Some anatomical variants may hinder or contraindicate access to target veins. Coronary angiography (CA) with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT-CA) and multiplanar reformations (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP) and 3D reconstructions provides noninvasive visualisation of normal cardiac veins and anatomical variants. The purpose of this pictorial review is to describe by MDCT-CA the anatomy and main variants of the cardiac venous system.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Integrata, P.le L.A.Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy, rmalag@sirm.org.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malagò
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzato
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbiani
authors.forename: Ugolino
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Alfonsi
authors.forename: Roberto Pozzi
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mucelli
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values