Histology of vascular myocardial wall of left atrial body after pulmonary venous incorporation

During embryonic development, the common pulmonary vein (PV) becomes incorporated into the left atrium, giving rise to separate PV ostia. We describe the consequences of this incorporation process for the histology of the left atrium and the possible clinical implications. The histology of the left atrial (LA) wall in relation to PV incorporation was studied immunohistochemically in 16 human embryos and fetuses, 1 neonate, and 5 adults. The PV wall, surrounded by extrapericardially differentiated myocardial cells, was incorporated into the LA body. After incorporation, the composition of PVs and the smooth-walled LA body wall was histologically identical. The LA appendage, however, consisted of endocardial and myocardial layers without a vessel wall component. In 2 adults, the myocardium in the LA posterior wall was absent. At the transition of the LA body and LA appendage, a smooth-walled myocardial zone lacking the venous wall was observed. This zone was histologically identical to the sinus venarum of the right atrium. In conclusion, the LA body arises by incorporation and growth of PVs, presenting with a histologically identical structure of vessel wall covered by extrapericardially differentiated myocardium of PVs. Discontinuity of myocardium may be the substrate for arrhythmias, and absence of myocardium in some patients makes this area potentially vulnerable to damage inflicted by ablation strategies. A border zone between the LA body and LA appendage is hypothesized to be the left part of the embryonic sinus venosus. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.