Fossa ovalis (heart)

Fossa ovalis (heart)

Interior of right side of heart.
Latin	fossa ovalis cordis
Gray's	subject #138 531
Precursor	foramen ovale
Dorlands/Elsevier	f_14/12376455

For the structure in the thigh, see Fossa ovalis (thigh).

Found in the right atrium of the heart, the fossa ovalis is an embryonic remnant of the foramen ovale, which normally closes shortly after birth.

[edit] Clinical significance

Failure of the foramen ovale to close results in a disorder known as patent foramen ovale.

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v • d • e Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart

Structures	atria (interatrial septum, musculi pectinati) • ventricles (interventricular septum, trabeculae carneae, chordae tendinae, papillary muscle) • valves • cusps

Regions	base • apex • grooves (coronary/atrioventricular, interatrial, anterior interventricula, posterior interventricular) • surfaces (sternocostal, diaphragmatic) • borders (right, left)

Right heart	(vena cavae, coronary sinus) → right atrium (atrial appendage, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of the inferior vena cava, valve of the coronary sinus) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle (conus arteriosus, moderator band/septomarginal trabecula) → pulmonary valve → (pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation)

Left heart	(pulmonary veins) → left atrium (atrial appendage) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve (aortic sinus) → (aorta and systemic circulation)

Layers	pericardium: fibrous pericardium • serous pericardium (pericardial cavity, epicardium/visceral layer) • pericardial sinus myocardium • endocardium • cardiac skeleton (fibrous trigone, fibrous rings)

Conduction system	Cardiac pacemaker • SA node • AV node• bundle of His • Purkinje fibers