Accessory hemiazygos vein
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View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Yoshi Yu had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Yoshi Yu's current disclosures- Superior hemiazygos vein
- Accessory hemiazygos veins
- Superior hemiazygos veins
The accessory (or superior) hemiazygos vein forms part of the azygos system and along with the hemiazygos vein, it is partially analogous to the right-sided azygos vein. It drains the left superior hemithorax.
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Terminology
Spelling it "hemiazygous" when referring to the vein is incorrect, regardless of whether British or American English 5. In the context of anatomy, see Terminologia Anatomica, hemiazygos vein is the sole correct spelling.
Gross anatomy
Origin
The accessory hemiazygos vein is formed by the confluence of the 4th to 8th left posterior intercostal veins.
Course
It descends to the left of midline, adjacent to the thoracic vertebrae and crosses posteriorly to the aorta at the level of T7-8 to drain into the azygos vein. It normally anastomoses with the left superior intercostal vein superiorly.
Tributaries
left 4th-8th posterior intercostal veins
left bronchial veins (variable)
Variant anatomy
drains via a common trunk with the hemiazygos vein into the azygos vein
forms a common trunk with the hemiazygos vein that passes anterior to the aorta called the interazygos vein 2
drains directly into the left brachiocephalic vein (rare) 2
References
- 1. Ryan S, McNicholas M, Eustace SJ. Anatomy for Diagnostic Imaging. Saunders Ltd. ISBN:B006L65KZ2. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Blackmon JM, Franco A. Normal variants of the accessory hemiazygos vein. Br J Radiol. 2011;84 (1003): 659-60. doi:10.1259/bjr/13695502 - Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 3. The vein book. Academic Press. ISBN:0123695155. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Drake R, Vogl AW, Mitchell AWM. Gray's Basic Anatomy: with STUDENT CONSULT Online Access (Grays Anatomy for Students). Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:B0092DEQ1U. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 5. Holemans JA. Azygos, not azygous. (2001) AJR. American journal of roentgenology. 176 (6): 1602. doi:10.2214/ajr.176.6.1761602b - Pubmed
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