Corpus: Ventricular septum

The ventricular septum is the dividing wall between the left and right ventricles of the heart. It runs from the tip of the heart to the cardiac skeleton. Externally, the ventricular septum can be localised by the sulcus interventricularis, a groove on the surface of the heart.

A distinction is made between the larger pars muscularis and a pars membranacea located close to the ascending aorta. Both parts have a different embryological origin, the pars membranacea originates from the endocardial cushions and is therefore part of the cardiac skeleton, whereas the pars muscularis originates from the ventricular musculature.

Important diseases that affect the ventricular septum include, for example

• Left ventricular hypertrophy
• Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
• Paradoxical septal movement (e.g. with bundle branch block or right heart strain)

Ventricular septal defects occur preferentially in the pars membranacea.