Middle cardiac vein

Looks like

A vein running in the groove on the underside of the heart between the two ventricles.

What it does

Drains the back of both ventricles and the septum into the coronary sinus near its opening.

Keeping it well

Sometimes used for pacing leads; otherwise rarely a problem.

Related conditions

• 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge)
• Aortic stenosis
• Atrial flutter
• Cardiomyopathy (dilated, restrictive, arrhythmogenic)
• Chagas disease
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Clotting disorders (thrombophilia & APS)
• Congenital heart defects
• Coronary artery disease
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Diphtheria
• Down syndrome (trisomy 21)
• Eating disorders
• Extra heartbeats (ectopics and palpitations)
• Fainting (syncope)
• Friedreich's ataxia
• Heart failure
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Long QT syndrome
• Myocarditis
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Panic disorder
• Pericardial effusion & tamponade
• Pericarditis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Sudden cardiac arrest
• Sudden infant death syndrome
• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy
• Tuberous sclerosis complex
• Varicose veins
• Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome