Right Auricle of the Heart, Posterior View

Description

Projecting anterosuperiorly from the right atrium, the right auricle (auricula dextra) is presented in posterior view, emphasizing its thick, irregular wall with prominent pectinate muscle ridges and intervening recesses. The appendage curves medially toward the atrial roof and lies to the right of the interatrial septal plane, with its base contiguous with the smooth-walled right atrium at the level of the atrioventricular junction. Surface vasculature is intentionally absent, keeping attention on endocardial topography. Atrial trabeculation dominates the field. That internal roughness matters when you are teaching where thrombus forms and where it usually does not. Right atrial appendage thrombus can occur in atrial fibrillation, severe tricuspid regurgitation, or indwelling central venous catheters, and the pectinate muscle network can mimic layered clot on transesophageal echocardiography unless you understand the expected morphology. Posterior orientation also helps clarify how the auricle relates to the right atrium during cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass and during surgical or device-based right atrial procedures. Small structures, big consequences. Use this illustration for cardiothoracic anatomy lectures, echo correlation figures in cardiology texts, and operative teaching materials that explain right atrial appendage anatomy without the distraction of coronary or venous landmarks. It also fits pathology or imaging atlases discussing atrial appendage thrombus, atrial arrhythmia substrates, and endocardial trabeculation. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.