Medical Gross Anatomy
Anatomy Tables - Veins
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Medical Gross Anatomy |
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Selected Veins of the Thorax - Listed Alphabetically |
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| Vein | Tributaries | Drains Into | Regions Drained | Notes |
| accessory hemiazygos v. | left posterior intercostal vv. 4-7 or 8, left bronchial vv., esophageal vv. | azygos v. | mid levels of the left posterolateral chest wall | the azygos system is variable, and levels drained by the accessory hemiazygos v. may vary |
| anterior cardiac v. | no named veins are tributary to these vessels | right atrium | anterior surface of the right ventricle | anterior cardiac vv. cross the superficial surface of the right coronary a. |
| ascending lumbar v. | lumbar vv. 1-4 | right: azygos v.; left: hemiazygos v. | posterior abdominal wall | ascending lumbar v. connects adjacent lumbar vv. |
| azygos v. | formed by the union of the ascending lumbar v. and the subcostal v.; tributaries: posterior intercostal vv. 11-2 (right superior intercostal), hemiazygos v., accessory hemiazygos v., esophageal v., right bronchial v. | posterior surface of the superior vena cava | lateral and posterior walls of the abdomen and chest; esophagus; bronchial tree | may connect with the inferior vena cava; arch of azygos passes superior to the root of the lung |
| brachiocephalic v. | formed by the union of the subclavian v. and the internal jugular v.; tributaries: vertebral v., thymic v., inferior thyroid v., internal thoracic v., 1st posterior intercostal v., left superior intercostal v. (to the left brachiocephalic v.) | the left and right brachiocephalic vv. unite to form the superior vena cava | head; neck; upper limb; anterior chest wall | at its origin, the left brachiocephalic v. receives the thoracic duct; at its origin, the right brachiocephalic v. receives the right lymphatic duct |
| cardiac, anterior | no named veins are tributary to these vessels | right atrium | anterior surface of the right ventricle | anterior cardiac vv. cross the superficial surface of the right coronary a. |
| cardiac, great | ventricular vv. | unites with the oblique v. of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus | region of the heart near the anterior interventricular sulcus | great cardiac v. is the longest of the cardiac vv.; it accompanies the anterior interventricular a. |
| cardiac, middle | ventricular vv. | coronary sinus | region of the heart near the posterior interventricular sulcus | middle cardiac v. accompanies the posterior interventricular a. |
| cardiac, small | no named veins are tributary to this vessel | coronary sinus | region of the heart near the inferior vena cava and right coronary sulcus | small cardiac v. courses through the coronary sulcus with the right coronary a. |
| cardiac, smallest | no named veins are tributary to these small vessels | drain directly into the heart chambers, particularly the atria | myocardium | also known as: Thebesian vv.; least cardiac vv.; venae cordis minimae |
| coronary sinus | formed by the union of the great cardiac v. and the oblique v. of the left atrium; tributaries: middle cardiac v., small cardiac v. | right atrium | heart, except the region drained by the anterior cardiac vv. and the smallest cardiac vv. | coronary sinus is located in the coronary (atrioventricular) sulcus; its opening into the right atrium is guarded by an imperfect valve |
| esophageal v. | tributaries are unnamed | azygos v.; hemiazygos v. | esophagus | esophageal vv. connect with the esophageal brs. of the left gastric, forming a potential portal-caval venous anastomosis (esophageal varices when enlarged) |
| great cardiac v. | ventricular vv. | unites with the oblique v. of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus | region of the heart near the anterior interventricular sulcus | great cardiac v. is the longest of the cardiac vv.; it accompanies the anterior interventricular a. |
| hemiazygos v. | formed by the joining of the left ascending lumbar v. and the left subcostal v.; tributaries: left posterior intercostal vv. 8 or 9-11; esophageal vv. | azygos v. | inferior levels of the left posterolateral chest wall | the azygos system is variable, and levels drained by the hemiazygos v. may vary |
| hemiazygos, accessory | left posterior intercostal vv. 4-7 or 8, left bronchial vv., esophageal vv. | azygos v. | mid levels of the left posterolateral chest wall | the azygos system is variable, and levels drained by the accessory hemiazygos v. may vary |
| intercostal, posterior | lateral cutaneous br. | 1st: brachiocephalic v.; 2nd-4th: superior intercostal v.; right 5th-11th: azygos v.; left 5th-7th or 8th: accessory hemiazygos v.; left 9th-11th: hemiazygos v. | intercostal space including skin, muscles and adjacent ribs; the spinal cord at that segmental level and the corresponding vertebra | the difference in termination of the intercostal vv. of the left and right sides is explained by the embryonic origin of the azygos system from the (originally symmetrical) supracardinal vv. |
| intercostal, superior | 2nd-4th posterior intercostal vv. | right: arch of the azygos v.; left: left brachiocephalic v, | intercostal spaces 2-4 | superior intercostal v. develops from the cephalic end of the supracardinal v. in the embryo |
| lumbar, ascending | lumbar vv. 1-4 | right: azygos v.; left: hemiazygos v. | posterior abdominal wall | ascending lumbar v. connects adjacent lumbar vv. |
| middle cardiac v. | ventricular vv. | coronary sinus | region of the heart near the posterior interventricular sulcus | middle cardiac v. accompanies the posterior interventricular a. |
| oblique v. of the left atrium | no named tributaries | coronary sinus | left auricle and a small portion of the left atrium | oblique v. of the left atrium is the remnant of the embryonic left superior vena cava, the proximal portion of which forms the coronary sinus |
| posterior intercostal v. | lateral cutaneous br. | 1st: brachiocephalic v.; 2nd-4th: superior intercostal v.; right 5th-11th: azygos v.; left 5th-7th or 8th: accessory hemiazygos v.; left 9th-11th: hemiazygos v. | intercostal space including skin, muscles and adjacent ribs; the spinal cord at that segmental level and the corresponding vertebra | the difference in termination of the intercostal vv. of the left and right sides is explained by the embryonic origin of the azygos system from the (originally symmetrical) supracardinal vv. |
| pulmonary v. | lobar vv. | left atrium | lungs | there are usually two pulmonary vv. per side, (superior and inferior) |
| superior intercostal v. | 2nd-4th posterior intercostal vv. | right: arch of the azygos v.; left: left brachiocephalic v, | intercostal spaces 2-4 | superior intercostal v. develops from the cephalic end of the supracardinal v. in the embryo |
| superior vena cava | formed by the union of the paired brachiocephalic vv.; tributary: azygos arch | right atrium | all of the body above the level of the diaphragm except for those regions drained by the pulmonary vv. and coronary vv. | superior vena cava is formed posterior to the first costal cartilage on the right side |
| thoracoepigastric v. | numerous vv. of the superficial fascia | lateral thoracic v. | skin and superficial fascia of the anterolateral body wall | thoracoepigastric v. connects the superficial circumflex iliac v. and the superficial epigastric v. - it can serve as collateral drainage when the inferior vena cava is blocked |
| vena cava, inferior | formed by the union of the paired common iliac vv; tributaries: lumbar vv. 1-4, right ovarian/testicular v., renal vv., right suprarenal v., right inferior phrenic v., hepatic vv. | right atrium | all of the body below the level of the respiratory diaphragm | the inferior vena cava is longer than the abdominal aorta |
| vena cava, superior | formed by the union of the paired brachiocephalic vv.; tributary: azygos arch | right atrium | all of the body above the level of the diaphragm except for those regions drained by the pulmonary vv. and coronary vv. | superior vena cava is formed posterior to the first costal cartilage on the right side |
| The material presented in these tables is
contained in the book: MedCharts Anatomy by Thomas R. Gest & Jaye Schlesinger Published by ILOC, Inc., New York Copyright © 1995, unauthorized use prohibited. |
The excellent editorial assistance of Dr. Pat Tank, UAMS is gratefully acknowledged. |
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| Copyright© 2000 The University of Michigan. Unauthorized use prohibited. |
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