What are the coronary vessels?
The coronary vessels surround the heart muscle in the shape of a ring. They are named for the location of their main trunks in the coronary groove of the heart – an annular depression on the outside of the heart that marks the boundary between the two atria and the ventricles.
Right Coronary Artery (RCA, ACD).
The right coronary artery runs horizontally around the right side of the heart. It supplies most of the right heart and the posterior part of the interventricular septum (dividing wall between the right and left halves of the heart).
The English name for the right coronary artery is “right coronary artery” (RCA). However, this heart vessel also often bears the abbreviation ACD – based on the Latin name of the vessel, “Arteria coronaria dextra”.
Left coronary artery (LCA, LMCA, ACS)
- The RIVA cardiac vessel (LAD cardiac vessel) descends on the front of the heart between the right and left ventricles. It supplies the left ventricle and a narrow strip of the right ventricle.
- The smaller branch of the left coronary artery (RCX) supplies the left atrium, moves to the posterior wall of the left ventricle, and runs obliquely across its outer wall.
The coronary arteries vary in size from person to person. In some people, for example, the left coronary artery supplies almost the entire heart.
What is the function of the coronary vessels?
Where are the coronary arteries located?
The coronary arteries are located under the epicardium, the inner leaflet of the pericardium (heart sac). They arise from the aorta shortly its exit from the left ventricle and spin around the heart in a wreath shape.
