You have not signed in, your progress will not be monitored for certification purposes. Click here to sign in.

Normal great artery views

Left ventricular outflow tract view

  • In the normal heart, the first great artery, seen just above (cranial to) the 4-chamber view, is the aorta
  • The aorta arises wholly from the left ventricle and initially sweeps out towards the right shoulder
  • There are no visible branches of the aorta close to the valve
  • The anterior wall of the aorta is continuous with the ventricular septum
  • The posterior wall of the aorta is continuous with the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve
  • The aortic valve opens freely during systole (the valve cusps disappear in systole)

 Left ventricular outflow tract view