Coronary Blood Vessels, Gross Anatomy

Description

Shown in anterior orientation, the heart is rendered with the right ventricle forming most of the sternocostal surface and the left ventricle contributing along the left margin toward the apex. Coronary arteries course in the atrioventricular (coronary) sulcus and descend in the anterior interventricular sulcus, with the right coronary artery tracking along the right atrioventricular groove and the left coronary artery dividing into the anterior interventricular (left anterior descending) and circumflex branches. Superficial cardiac veins accompany these arteries, including the great cardiac vein alongside the anterior interventular artery and the small cardiac vein along the right margin. Color coding distinguishes arterial and venous flow. An anterior coronary map is the working view for correlating surface anatomy with ischemic territories, because the left anterior descending artery and its diagonal branches supply the anterior wall of the left ventricle and much of the interventricular septum. This is the artery most often implicated in anterior STEMI and a key target during coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass grafting, where the left internal thoracic artery is commonly anastomosed to the LAD. Venous pathways matter too, since the great cardiac vein continues into the coronary sinus for retrograde cardioplegia and electrophysiology procedures. Use this asset for gross anatomy teaching on cardiac circulation, for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery slide decks explaining coronary dominance and common occlusion patterns, and for patient-facing education where a clean anterior heart view helps orient the coronary tree before catheterization or CABG discussions. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.