Superior vena cava

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), yet short, 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. It is the typical site of central venous access (CVA) via a central venous catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter. Mentions of "the cava" without further specification usually refer to the SVC.

Structure of Superior and Inferior Vena Cava

It is formed by the left and right brachiocephalic veins (also referred to as the innominate veins), which also receive blood from the upper limbs, eyes and neck, behind the lower border of the first right costal cartilage. The azygos vein joins it just before it enters the right atrium, at the upper right front portion of the heart. It is also known as the cranial vena cava in other animals.

Venae cavae

The venae cavae (from the Latin for "hollow veins", singular "vena cava") are large veins (venous trunks) that return deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart. In humans they are called the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava, and both empty into the right atrium. They are located slightly off-center, toward the right side of the body.

The inferior vena cava (or caudal vena cava in some animals) travels up alongside the abdominal aorta with blood from the lower part of the body. It is the largest vein in the human body.

The superior vena cava (or cranial vena cava in animals) is above the heart, and forms from a convergence of the left and right brachiocephalic veins, which contain blood from the head and the arms.

Pronunciation

Origin: 1590–1600; New Latin vena cava (sg), venae cavae (pl), 'hollow vein/veins'. Although the classical Latin pronunciation of venae cavae would be approximately /ˈwɛnaɪˈkɑːvaɪ/, the standard English medical pronunciation is /ˈviːniːˈkeɪviː/.

Vena Cava (album)

Vena Cava is a live performance album by avant-garde artist Diamanda Galás. It was released in 1993 on Mute Records.

Track listing

All music composed by Diamanda Galás.

Personnel

Release history

References

External links