Veins of Head, Neck, Upper Limbs and Thorax

Alvedina Besirevic

Head and Neck Veins

• Blood collected by three pair of veins.

• External jugular veins

• Internal jugular veins

• Vertebral veins

External jugular veins

• Drain superficial scalp and face structures

• Descent through lateral neck

• Pass obliquely over sternocleidomastoid muscle

• Empty into subclavian veins

Internal jugular veins

• Largest of the paired veins draining the head and neck

• Receive bulk of blood draining from brain

• Receive blood from facial and superficial temporal veins

• Joins with subclavian at the base of the neck to form brachiocephalic vein which join to form superior vena cava

Vertebral veins

• Drain cervical vertebrae, spinal cord and small neck muscles

• Join brachiocephalic veins at the root of the neck

Veins of head and neckSuperficial aspect

Dural venous sinuses of the brain

Thorax and upper limb Schematic flowchart

Thorax and upper limb

Head neck and brainSchematic flowchart