Subclavian vein
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Matthew Jarvis had no recorded disclosures.
View Matthew Jarvis's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Leon Chau had no recorded disclosures.
View Leon Chau's current disclosures- Subclavian veins
- Left subclavian vein
- Left subclavian veins
- Right subclavian veins
- Right subclavian vein
The subclavian veins are the major veins that drain the upper limbs.
Gross anatomy
Origin and course
The subclavian vein is the continuation of the axillary vein as it crosses the lateral border of the 1st rib. It then arches cephalad, posterior to the medial clavicle before curving caudally and receiving its only tributary, the external jugular vein, which drains into the subclavian vein at the lateral border of the anterior scalene muscle. The vein continues medially to pass anterior to the anterior scalene muscle (whereas the subclavian artery passes posterior to the muscle) and joins the internal jugular vein posterior to the sternoclavicular joint, where it forms the brachiocephalic vein. The thoracic duct (on the left) and right lymphatic duct (on the right) drain into the central venous system at this point.
The most central venous valve in the upper limb venous drainage lies in the lateral subclavian vein, and medial to this the veins are valveless, and are considered to be 'central veins'.
Relations
- posterior: subclavian artery, anterior scalene muscle, 1st rib, pleura
- anterior: clavicle
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Related pathology
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
- Cisterna chyli
- Thoracic duct
- Intravascular lipoma
- Brachiocephalic vein
- Jugular trunk
- Cervical rib
- Axillary vein
- Vascular compression disorders
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Cardiac resynchronisation therapy
- Phrenic nerve
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (S)
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (L)
- Subclavian vein stenosis
- Central venous catheter
- Azygos venous system
- Venous drainage of the upper limb
- Venous thoracic outlet syndrome
- Central vein
- Internal jugular vein
- Normal left subclavian venogram
- Acute submandibular abscess and unpaired anterior jugular vein
- Cephalic venous thrombosis in arteriovenous fistula
- Cardiac arrest (CT)
- Truncal venous development (Gray's illustration)
- Double outlet right ventricle
- Brachiocephalic and superior vena cava stenosis
- Left subclavian vein thrombosis
- Phlebectasia of external jugular vein
- Misplaced jugular venous catheter in right subclavian
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Chronic subclavian vein thrombosis
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heart
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