The distribution of the cardiac veins in the New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

In this investigation, 25 adult New Zealand White rabbits randomly selected from both sexes and studied. Coloured latex injection and corrosion cast methods were applied on the materials. This study was carried out to disclose the distribution of the cardiac veins of the New Zealand White rabbits. The veins that drain the heart were found to be the great cardiac vein, the middle cardiac vein, the right cardiac veins and the smallest cardiac veins. The great cardiac vein originated from the ventral aspect of the left cranial vena cava. The middle cardiac vein and the right circumflex vein had a common trunk (32% of cases) and opened into the left cranial vena cava. The right (small) cardiac veins emptied into the right atrium and left cranial vena cava in 4% and 96% of the cases, respectively. The septal veins were primarily responsible for the drainage of the interventricular septum. Also, a strong anastomosis was observed between the middle cardiac vein and the left marginal vein.