| Vein: Azygos vein | |
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| Superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, azygos vein and their tributaries. The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium The inferior vena cava (or IVC is the large Vein that carries de-oxygenated Blood from the lower half of the body into the Heart. (Vena azygos labeled at center. ) | |
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| POSTERIOR VIEW: The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind. (Azygos vein labeled at bottom left. ) | |
| Latin | vena azygos |
| Gray's | subject #172 667 |
| Source | superior intercostal vein |
| Drains to | superior vena cava |
| MeSH | Azygos+Vein |
| Dorlands / Elsevier |
v_05/12849551 |
The azygos vein is a vein running up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Introduction ( Superficial veins (cutaneous veins Deep veins Venæ comitantes The superior intercostal veins are two Veins that drain the 2nd 3rd and 4th Intercostal spaces, one vein for each side of the body The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH) is a huge Controlled vocabulary (or metadata system for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books Elsevier, the world's largest Publisher of Medical and Scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group In Human anatomy, the vertebral column ( backbone or spine) is a column of 34 Vertebrae the Sacrum, Intervertebral It is also used as an alternate path for the inferior vena cava. The inferior vena cava (or IVC is the large Vein that carries de-oxygenated Blood from the lower half of the body into the Heart.
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Structure
The azygos vein transports deoxygenated blood from the posterior walls of the thorax and abdomen into the superior vena cava vein. The thorax is a division of an Animal 's body that lies between the head and the Abdomen. In Vertebrates such as Mammals the abdomen (belly constitutes the part of the body between the Thorax (chest and Pelvis. The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium The anatomy of this blood vessel can be quite variable. The blood vessels are part of the Circulatory system and function to transport Blood throughout the body In some rare variations for example, it also drains thoracic veins, bronchial veins and even gonadal veins. The vein is so named because it has no symmetrically equivalent vein on the left side of the body. In the Circulatory system, a vein is a Blood vessel that carries Blood back toward the Heart (as opposed to Artery, a blood vessel
It is formed by the union of the ascending lumbar veins with the right subcostal veins at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra, ascending in the posterior mediastinum, and arching over the root of the right lung to join the superior vena cava. The lumbar veins are veins running along the inside of the posterior Abdominal wall. The subcostal vein is a Vein in the human body that runs along the bottom of the Twelfth rib. The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the Thorax (chest surrounded by Loose connective tissue. lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive This "arch of the azygos vein" (arcus venae azygou) is an important anatomic landmark.
Its tributaries, apart from its main tributary, the hemiazygos vein, are the bronchial veins, pericardial veins, and posterior right intercostal veins. The bronchial veins are small vessels that return blood from the larger Bronchi and structures at the roots of the Lungs. The intercostal veins are a group of veins which drain the area between the Ribs ("costae" called the Intercostal space. It communicates with the vertebral venous plexuses.
Azygos venous system
The azygos system of veins is considered to be the azygos vein, along with its left-sided counterparts, the hemiazygos vein and the accessory hemiazygos vein. The hemiazygos vein ( vena azygos minor inferior) is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region just to the left side of the Vertebral column. The accessory hemiazygos vein (vena azygos minor superior is a vein on the left side of the Vertebral column that generally drains the fifth through eighth intercostal spaces Together, they form an anastomosis between the superior vena cava to the inferior vena cava. An anastomosis (plural anastomoses, from gr ἀναστόμωσις communicating opening) is a Network of streams that both branch out and reconnect The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium The inferior vena cava (or IVC is the large Vein that carries de-oxygenated Blood from the lower half of the body into the Heart.
It can be noted that the azygos system of veins exists because the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava are not continuous. The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium The inferior vena cava (or IVC is the large Vein that carries de-oxygenated Blood from the lower half of the body into the Heart. While the aorta travels downward (continuously) through the mediastinum, supplying blood to the intercostal spaces, the vena cava does not exist at the level of the heart. Thus, the azygos venous system makes up for this deficiency of the venae cavae.
Etymology
The Greek root zyg refers to a pair. 'A-' means not. Thus, azygos means unpaired. The azygos vein is unpaired in that there is only one in the body, mostly on the right side. While there is the hemiazygos vein and its accessory on the left side of the body, they are considered tributaries of the azygos vein rather than its left-side equivalent. The hemiazygos vein ( vena azygos minor inferior) is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region just to the left side of the Vertebral column.
Additional images
 Diagram showing completion of development of the parietal veins. |
 Transverse section of thorax, showing relations of pulmonary artery. |
 Base and diaphragmatic surface of heart. |
 The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries. |
 The thoracic and right lymphatic ducts. |
 Mediastinal surface of right lung. |
See also
External links
- SUNY Figs 19:03-03 - "Right side of the mediastinum. The hemiazygos vein ( vena azygos minor inferior) is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region just to the left side of the Vertebral column. The posterior intercostal veins are Veins that drain the Intercostal spaces posteriorly The superior vena cava is a large yet short Vein that carries deoxygenated Blood from the upper half of the body to the Heart 's Right atrium The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the Thorax (chest surrounded by Loose connective tissue. "
- Dissection at lumc.edu
- Radiology at umich.edu
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