This site is targeted at medical and radiology professionals, contains user contributed content, and material that may be confusing to a lay audience. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use.

Superior vena cava

Dr Jeremy Jones and Dr Omar Bashir et al.

The superior vena cava (SVC) is a large valveless venous channel formed by the union of the brachiocephalic veins. It receives blood from the upper half of the body and returns it to the right atrium¹.

It begins behind the lower border of the first right costal cartilage and descends vertically behind the second and third intercostal spaces to end in the right atrium at the level of the third costal cartilage. Its lower half is covered by the fibrous pericardium, which it pierces at the level of the second costal cartilage¹.

Tributaries

azygos vein
small veins draining the pericardium and other mediastinal structures

Variations

brachiocephalic veins entering the right atrium separately
SVC duplication
left sided SVC

References

This article is in need of some more references!
You can make a difference to Radiopaedia.org by adding some relevant ones.
1. Standring S, Gray H. Gray's anatomy, the anatomical basis of clinical practice. Churchill Livingstone. (2008) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon