Right Auricle of the Heart, Anterior View

Description

Prominent on the anterior surface of the heart, the right auricle (auricula dextra) projects anterolaterally from the right atrium, draping toward the right margin of the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. Its free edge forms a broad, ear-like muscular flap, while its base is continuous medially with the atrial wall at the atrioventricular groove. Expect adjacent anterior landmarks to include the superior vena cava entering the right atrium superiorly, the right ventricle lying inferior and anterior, and the beginning of the coronary sulcus separating atrium from ventricle. Pectinate musculature typically lines the auricular cavity. For teaching and clinical communication, the right auricle matters because it marks the anterior extent of the right atrium and often obscures the atrioventricular junction in anterior orientation. Surgeons and interventionalists reference this region during right atrial cannulation, placement of temporary pacing wires, and procedures that traverse the right atrium, where the relationship between the auricular appendage and the aortic root can affect instrument trajectory. Thrombus is discussed far more often in the left atrial appendage, but the right auricle can also harbor thrombus in atrial fibrillation and in the setting of indwelling catheters. A small pocket with outsized procedural relevance. Use this illustration to annotate cardiothoracic anatomy in undergraduate anatomy labs, to support chapters on cardiac chambers and surface anatomy in medical textbooks, or to orient readers in surgical atlases describing median sternotomy exposure of the anterior heart and right atrial access. It also fits well in electrophysiology and cardiac imaging teaching files when correlating anterior gross anatomy with CT or echocardiographic landmarks. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.