Pulmonary Valve in a Transverse Section of the Male Heart, Ventral View

Description

Centered in the transverse section, the pulmonary valve sits at the superior aspect of the right ventricle, guarding the outlet into the pulmonary trunk. Three semilunar cusps (leaflets) form a triradiate closure line, each cusp anchored to the fibrous annulus and curving distally toward the sinotubular junction of the pulmonary root. From a ventral perspective, the anterior (ventral) cusp lies closest to the sternocostal surface, while the right and left cusps fall posterolaterally relative to it, with the right ventricular outflow tract (infundibulum) immediately inferior. Orientation matters. This cut clarifies how the pulmonary annulus relates to the muscular infundibulum and the proximal pulmonary artery, a relationship you rely on when interpreting echocardiography and cardiac CT in the short-axis plane where commissures and cusp coaptation are judged. It also supports procedural planning for congenital and acquired right ventricular outflow tract disease, including pulmonary stenosis, postoperative pulmonary regurgitation after tetralogy of Fallot repair, and transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation where annular sizing and leaflet morphology drive device selection. Small structure, big consequences. Use this artwork for teaching cardiac anatomy in gross anatomy, cardiothoracic surgery, and cardiology curricula, or for illustrating pulmonary valve assessment in manuscripts on valvular heart disease, RVOT reconstruction, and imaging correlation between transverse sections and short-axis echocardiographic views. It also fits clinical slide decks explaining systolic ejection across the pulmonary valve and the anatomic basis of systolic murmurs at the left upper sternal border. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.