The so-called absorption process of the pulmonary vein into the left atrium of the heart: a histological study using human embryos and fetuses

Background Embryonic pulmonary veins (PVs) are believed to be absorbed into the left atrium (LA) to provide an adult morphology in which “four” veins drain separately into the atrium. Materials and methods Serial histological sections were obtained from 27 human embryos and fetuses. Results Between 5 and 6 weeks, the four PVs joined together to form a trunk-like structure (initial spatium pulmonalis) that was larger than the initial LA (two-ostia pattern). The cardiac nerves ran inferiorly along the posterior aspect of the four veins, as well as the spatium. At and until 7 weeks, the cardiac nerves were concentrated to elongate the nerve fold, and the latter separated the left PV trunk from the expanding LA (left spatium). Similarly, the right PV opened to a thick and deep LA recess (right spatium). At 8–12 weeks, depending on the growth of the LA, the opening of the left and right PVs became distant, and the spatium was elongated transversely. The left spatium was enlarged to open widely to the proper left atrium in contrast to the right spatium pushed anteriorly by the right atrium. The three-ostia pattern was transiently observed because of the lost delimitation between the left spatium and proper atrium. The myocardium was thin in the left spatium behind the left atrial nerve fold, whereas the right spatium was tube-like with a thick myocardium. Conclusions The four-ostia pattern seemed to be established at birth due to a drastically increased venous return from the lung, resulting in a flat smooth left atrial posterior wall.