rightheart

The right heart refers to the right atrium and right ventricle, together with the associated valves and conduction-related components that form the venous return and pulmonary outflow portions of the heart. It functions in series with the left heart, handling deoxygenated blood returning from the systemic circulation and delivering it to the lungs for oxygenation.

The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the systemic veins via the superior and inferior vena cavae and the coronary sinus. The atrium contains smooth-walled sinus venarum and a trabeculated appendage with pectinate muscles. Blood passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, which pumps through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs. The right coronary artery supplies much of the right heart; venous drainage returns via the coronary sinus to the right atrium. The sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes are commonly located in the right atrium.

Clinically, the right heart is assessed for function in conditions such as right heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, and valvular diseases like tricuspid regurgitation or pulmonic stenosis. Diagnostic tools routinely include echocardiography, electrocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Management focuses on treating underlying causes and may involve medical therapy, devices, or surgery.