Rare Variant of the Great Cardiac Vein. A Case Report

The great cardiac vein, the longest coronary vein, opens into the coronary sinus in most cases, with very few exceptions documented in the literature. During a routine dissection of a 63‐year old male cadaver within our Department of Anatomy and Embryology, a rare morphological variation of the great cardiac vein was observed. In this particular case, the vein started at the mid‐level of the anterior interventricular sulcus. From this origin point, it ascended alongside and on the right of the anterior descending branch. At the point where the circumflex artery originated from the left coronary artery, the great cardiac vein crossed over the anterior descending branch and underneath the circumflex artery towards the transverse pericardial sinus. After crossing the sinus, the great cardiac vein opened directly into the superior vena cava. The coronary sinus, formed of the middle cardiac vein, the posterior cardiac vein and the small cardiac vein, opened into the vena cava separately, by the right atrium. Familiarity with such morphological variations is becoming increasingly important, as invasive procedures through coronary catheterization are becoming more commonplace. Support or Funding Information N/A