Heart of an Obese White Male

Description

Anterior thoracic viscera are rendered through a semi-transparent obese male torso, with the heart centered in the middle mediastinum between the right and left lungs and resting on the superior surface of the diaphragm. The right ventricle lies most anterior, the left ventricle forms the left lateral border and apex, and the atria sit more posterior and superior at the base of the heart. Epicardial coronary vessels course within the atrioventricular and interventricular grooves, draping the myocardium as they wrap from the anterior surface toward the diaphragmatic and posterior aspects. Surrounding organ relationships are maintained in situ, including liver in the right upper quadrant, stomach to the left, intestines inferiorly, and kidneys retroperitoneally. Obesity changes how clinicians think about this anatomy, because increased epicardial adipose tissue can obscure coronary course and alter the apparent borders of the cardiac silhouette on chest radiography and CT. The anterior position of the right ventricle and the leftward projection of the left ventricle provide the key mental map for interpreting ECG lead territories and for understanding why left ventricular hypertrophy, ischemia, or cardiomyopathy can shift the point of maximal impulse. It also frames procedural planning, from transthoracic echocardiography windows that are often limited by body habitus to coronary artery bypass grafting where the surface trajectory of coronary arteries guides arteriotomy sites. Use this artwork for gross anatomy and cardiothoracic modules that teach organ topography, coronary vessel distribution, and thoracoabdominal relationships in an adult male body with obesity. It also fits internal medicine or radiology teaching files addressing cardiomegaly, coronary artery disease, and the impact of adiposity on imaging and physical examination. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.