Valve of inferior vena cava

Valve of inferior vena cava
Interior of right side of heart. (Valve of inf. vena cava labeled at lower left.)
Latin	valvula venae cavae inferioris
Gray's	subject #139 540

The valve of the inferior vena cava (eustachian valve) lies at the junction of the inferior vena cava and right atrium. In fetal life, the Eustachian valve helps direct the flow of oxygen-rich blood through the right atrium into the left atrium via the foramen ovale. Before birth, oxygen rich blood returning from the placenta mixes with blood from the hepatic veins in the inferior vena cava. Streaming this blood across the atrial septum via the foramen ovale increases the oxygen content of blood in the left atrium. This in turn increases the oxygen concentration of blood in the left ventricle, the aorta, the coronary circulation and the circulation of the developing brain. Following birth and separation from the placenta, the oxygen content in the inferior vena cava falls. With the onset of breathing, the left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs via the pulmonary veins. As blood flow to the lungs increases, the amount of blood flow entering the left atrium increases. When the pressure in the left atrium exceeds the pressure in the right atrium, the foramen ovale begins to close and limits the blood flow between the left and right atrium. While the Eustachian valve persists in adult life, it is essentially vestigial. Eustachian Valve (EV), also called valvulae venae cavae inferioris, was described for the first time by the Italian anatomist: Bartolomeo Eustachi (born between 1500 and 1513, died 1574 ).

See also

• Inferior vena cava

The eustachian valve is the valve at the distal end of the inferior vena cava, which passes blood from the lower extremities into the Right Atrium of the heart

External links

• valve+of+inferior+vena+cava at eMedicine Dictionary
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich ht_rt_atrium - "Right atrium, internal structure, anterior view"

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