left marginal vein

The left marginal vein is a vein that is a tributary of the great cardiac vein (left coronary vein) and drains blood from the left ventricle of the heart, coursing superiorly along the left cardiac border with the left marginal artery.

It is located on the anterolateral surface of the heart, traveling superiorly along the left cardiac border (obtuse margin) to join the great cardiac vein near the atrioventricular groove.

Its function is to drain deoxygenated blood from the lateral wall of the left ventricle, delivering it to the great cardiac vein and ultimately to the coronary sinus and right atrium.

Cardiac venous anomalies and the anatomy of left ventricular venous drainage are relevant in cardiac resynchronization therapy, where left ventricular lead placement may involve tributaries such as the left marginal vein.

Coronary venography, cardiac CT angiography, and cardiac MRI may be used to visualize the left marginal vein and characterize its anatomy in the context of cardiac procedures.