Organ
Pulmonary valve
The semilunar outlet of the right ventricle
High-yield
A muscular outlet separates pulmonary and tricuspid valve attachments; the pulmonary valve is the most anterior and superior cardiac valve.
Overview
At the top of the muscular infundibulum, the pulmonary valve separates the right ventricular outlet from the pulmonary trunk. Its usual three cusps move with the changing pressure difference across the valve. Unlike the tricuspid valve, it has no chordal support.
Reference facts
- Location
- At the junction of the right ventricular infundibulum and pulmonary trunk
- Parts
- Usually anterior, right and left semilunar cusps with corresponding sinuses
- Blood supply
- The supporting outlet receives coronary branches; thin cusp tissue relies largely on diffusion
- Innervation
- Sensory and autonomic fibers within valvar nerve networks
- Relations
- Anterior and superior to the aortic valve, supported by the muscular infundibulum
- Function
- Permits blood to enter the pulmonary trunk and limits diastolic return into the right ventricle
Clinical correlation
Pulmonary valve stenosis adds resistance to right ventricular ejection. Pulmonary regurgitation returns blood to the ventricle during diastole and can create a volume load when substantial.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the pulmonary valve located?
At the junction of the right ventricular infundibulum and pulmonary trunk.
What does the pulmonary valve do?
Permits blood to enter the pulmonary trunk and limits diastolic return into the right ventricle.
What are the parts of the pulmonary valve?
Usually anterior, right and left semilunar cusps with corresponding sinuses.
What is the blood supply of the pulmonary valve?
The supporting outlet receives coronary branches; thin cusp tissue relies largely on diffusion.