LAUSR

BACKGROUND The Vieussens valve is a vein valve that is often found between the coronary sinus ostium and the great cardiac vein. AIMS  To analyze Vieussens valve in vivo in cardiac computer tomography. METHODS 325 patients (120 women, aged 58 [11]) were included into the research. Retrospective scanning using 64 slices of 0.5 mm was performed, MPR and 3D volume renderings were used. Because the Vieussens valve is difficult to find in standard reconstructions due to its very small thickness, we decided to prepare and use indirect analyses in order to determine the presence of the valve. The basis for the analysis was the fact that even a very thin valve is an obstacle to the flow of contrast in the same way as the much larger valves. RESULTS In 141 of the 325 (43.38%) patients, the Vieussens valve was present. In the gender- analysis, we did not find any (P = 0.83) differences - in men, the valve was present in 42.92% (88 / 205) and in women, in 44.17% (53 / 120). The Vieussens valve was found 38.89 (7.47) mm from coronary sinus ostium on average. We found three types of Vieussens valve: varicose, diminutive and Marshal vein type. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to visualize the Vieussens valve in computed tomography. Due to the usually small size of the valve, the best way to find the valve is to analyze the distribution (contrast opacity) of a contrast agent in the coronary sinus. Differentiation of the proposed types of valve can facilitate further analysis.