Superior vena cava
One of two veinous trunks bringing deoxygenated blood back to the heart / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The superior vena cava (SVC) is the superior of the two venae cavae, the great venous trunks that return deoxygenated blood from the systemic circulation to the right atrium of the heart. It is a large-diameter (24 mm) short length vein that receives venous return from the upper half of the body, above the diaphragm. Venous return from the lower half, below the diaphragm, flows through the inferior vena cava. The SVC is located in the anterior right superior mediastinum.[1] It is the typical site of central venous access via a central venous catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter. Mentions of "the cava" without further specification usually refer to the SVC.[citation needed]
Superior vena cava | |
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Details | |
Precursor | Common cardinal veins |
Drains from | Left and right brachiocephalic veins |
Source | Brachiocephalic vein, azygos vein |
Drains to | Right atrium |
Identifiers | |
Latin | vena cava superior, vena maxima |
MeSH | D014683 |
TA98 | A12.3.03.001 |
TA2 | 4745 |
FMA | 4720 |
Anatomical terminology |