internal thoracic vein

(noun)

Drains the chest wall and breasts.

Related Terms

Examples of internal thoracic vein in the following topics:

  • Veins of the Thorax

    • It is joined just before entering the heart by the azygos vein, which runs up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column and transports blood from the external thoracic cavity.
    • The internal thoracic vein is a vessel that drains the chest wall and breasts.
    • Bilaterally, it arises from the superior epigastric vein, accompanies the internal thoracic artery along its course, and terminates in the brachiocephalic vein.
    • The renal veins from the kidney and hepatic veins of the liver drain directly into the inferior vena cava.
    • Additionally, the superior and inferior phrenic veins drain the diaphragm and usually open into the internal mammary vein and inferior vena cava, respectively.

  • Veins of the Abdomen and Pelvis

    • The external iliac vein, the upward continuation of the femoral vein, passes upward along the pelvis and ends to form the common iliac vein.The tributaries of the external iliac vein are the inferior epigastric, deep iliac circumflex, and pubic veins.
    • The internal iliac vein begins near the upper part of the greater sciatic foramen, the large opening at the rear of the pelvis, passes upward behind and slightly medial to the internal iliac artery and, at the brim of the pelvis, joins with the external iliac vein to form the common iliac vein.
    • The superior epigastric vein refers to a blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood and drains into the internal thoracic vein.
    • The inferior epigastric vein refers to the vein that drains into the external iliac vein and arises from the superior epigastric vein.
    • The veins of the abdomen and lower limb include the inferior vena cava, the common iliac veins, the external iliac veins, and their tributaries.

  • Principal Veins

    • Deep veins are often of larger caliber than superficial veins and carry the majority of the blood within the circulatory system.
    • Communicating veins, or perforator veins if they pass through a large muscle mass, directly connect superficial and direct veins.
    • Both enter the right atrium of the heart with the superior vena cava carrying blood from the arms, head, and thoracic cavity and the inferior vena cava carrying blood from the legs and abdomen.
    • The superior vena cava is formed from the brachiocephalic veins which are in turn formed from the subclavian and internal jugular veins that serve the arm and head respectively.
    • There are four pulmonary veins, two from each lung, each of which forms from three to four bronchial veins.

  • Lymph Trunks and Ducts

    • The thoracic lymph duct, the largest lymph vessel in the body, takes lymph from the lower and left halves of the body.
    • Because the thoracic lymph duct drains the intestinal lymph trunks, it carries a mixture of lymph and emulsified fatty acids called chyle back to the bloodstream.
    • The thoracic duct drains into to the left subclavian vein while the right duct drains into the right subclavian vein, both at the junction between the respective vein and the jugular vein.
    • The two subclavian veins then merge into the vena cava,  the large vein that brings deoxygenated blood to the heart.
    • The lymph ducts each have internal valves at their junction with the subclavian vein.

  • Veins of the Head and Neck

    • The deep-lying internal jugular vein receives blood from the dural venous sinuses in the brain as well as the cerebral and cerebellar veins.
    • Formed at the base of the brain from the inferior petrosal sinus and the sigmoid sinus, the internal jugular vein runs down the side of the neck adjacent to the internal carotid artery.
    • As well as removing blood from the brain, the anterior retromandibular, facial, and lingual veins also drain into the internal jugular.
    • Upon exiting the neck, the internal jugular vein merges with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein.
    • Additional veins such as the occipital, deep cervical, and thyroid veins drain directly into the brachiocephalic vein.

  • Lymphatic Tissue Development

    • The first lymph sacs to appear are the paired jugular lymph sacs at the junction of the internal jugular and subclavian veins.
    • Each jugular lymph sac retains at least one connection with its jugular vein, the left one developing into the superior portion of the thoracic duct.
    • It develops from the primitive vena cava and mesonephric veins.
    • The last of the lymph sacs, the paired posterior lymph sacs, develop from the iliac veins.
    • The posterior lymph sacs join the cisterna chyli and lose their connections with adjacent veins.

  • Thoracic Aorta

    • The thoracic aorta is the section of the aorta that travels through the thoracic cavity to carry blood to the head, neck, thorax and arms.
    • Contained within the posterior mediastinal cavity, it begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra at the aortic hiatus in the diaphragm.
    • The thoracic aorta's relation, from above downward, is as follows: anteriorly with the root of the left lung, the pericardium, the esophagus and the diaphragm; posteriorly with the vertebral column; on the right side with the hemiazygos veins and thoracic duct; and on the left side with the left pleura and lung.
    • The posterior intercostal arteries are branches that originate throughout the length of the posterior aspect of the thoracic aorta.
    • The aorta, highlighted in red, includes the thoracic aorta, the section of the aorta which runs from the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra to the diaphragm.

  • Veins

    • The return of blood to the heart is assisted by the action of the skeletal-muscle pump and by the thoracic pump action of breathing during respiration.
    • Although most veins take blood back to the heart, portal veins carry blood between capillary beds.
    • Deep veins - Deep veins are deeper in the body and have corresponding arteries.
    • Communicating veins - Communicating veins (or perforator veins) directly connect superficial veins to deep veins.
    • Pulmonary veins - The pulmonary veins deliver oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.

  • Great Vessels of the Heart

    • The right and left subclavian veins, jugular veins, and thyroid veins feed into the superior vena cava.
    • The subclavian veins are significant because the thoracic lymphatic duct drains lymph fluid into the subclavian veins, making the superior vena cava a site of lymph fluid recirculation into the plasma.
    • It is subdivided into the thoracic and abdominal aorta.
    • The thoracic aorta is  the part of the descending aorta above the diaphragm.
    • The right pulmonary veins pass behind the right atrium and superior vena cava while the left pass in front of the descending thoracic aorta.

  • Intercostal Nerves

    • The anterior divisions of the thoracic spinal nerves (T1–T11) are called the intercostal nerves.
    • The anterior division of the first thoracic nerve divides into two branches:
    • The anterior divisions of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth thoracic nerves, and the small branch from the first thoracic, are confined to the walls of the thorax and are named thoracic intercostal nerves.
    • The twelfth (subcostal) thoracic nerve is distributed to the abdominal wall and groin.
    • This explains why damage to the internal wall of the thoracic cavity can be felt as a sharp pain localized in the injured region.