Anterior cardiac veins

Definition

The anterior cardiac veins are small blood vessels on the front surface of the heart that drain blood from the heart muscle (myocardium) directly into the right atrium. Unlike many other veins in the heart, they do not connect to the coronary sinus.

Related terms

Myocardium:

The muscular tissue of the heart that contracts to pump blood throughout the body.

Right atrium: One of the four chambers of the heart, receiving deoxygenated blood from the body and passing it to the right ventricle.

Coronary sinus: A large vein on the posterior side of the heart that collects blood from smaller veins and delivers it into the right atrium