Anatomical indicators of the heart and coronary arteries: An anthropometric study

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies confirm that there is no anthropometric index of normal Iranian hearts, including diameter of cardiac valve, thickness of myocardial septum and coronary artery variation. The purpose of this study was to assess the anatomical indexes of the human heart and coronary artery in the Iranian population.

Methods: The study was performed with 207 adult human hearts in both sexes (182 male and 25 female), fixed in 10% formaldehyde. Myocardial thickness and diameter of heart valves were measured using a Vernier caliper. Assessments of the coronary artery were carried out after removal of the pericardium.

Results: Analysis of 207 cadaver coronary arteries showed left coronary artery (LCA) dominance type was present in 6.3% of corpus, and balance was present in 4.3% of corpus, while the largest number (89.4%) had right coronary artery (RCA) dominance. The mean values of the morphometric data are as follows: right atrial wall thickness (2.08 +/- 0.04 mm), left atrial wall thickness (2.08 +/- 0.04 mm), interatrial wall thickness (4.92 +/- 0.08 mm), right ventricular wall thickness (3.35 +/- 0.05 mm), left ventricular wall thickness (8.36 +/- 0.13 mm), interventricular wall thickness (12.01 +/- 0.2 mm), diameter of the aorta (23.6 +/- 0.4 mm), diameter of the pulmonary artery (24.94 +/-  0.4 mm), large diameter of the mitral valve (34.16 +/- 0.27 mm), and large diameter of the tricuspid valve (38.8 +/- 0.24 mm).

Conclusion: The anatomical knowledge of cardiac indicators and coronary artery data will be helpful and clinically relevant, especially for cardiac surgeons for coronary artery bypass grafting and coronary arteriography.