Superior epigastric vein: Definition from Answers.com

Vein: Superior epigastric vein

Superior epigastric artery, internal thoracic artery and inferior epigastric artery. (Superior epigastric artery is labeled at right center, and superior epigastric vein runs with it.)
Latin	venae epigastricae superiores
Drains from	abdominal wall and some of the diaphragm
Drains to	internal thoracic vein
Artery	superior epigastric artery

In human anatomy, superior epigastric vein refers to a blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood and drains into the internal thoracic vein. It anastomoses with the inferior epigastric vein at the level of the umbilicus and drains the anterior part of the abdominal wall and some of the diaphragm.

Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named artery, the superior epigastric artery.

External links

Gray's s173 - "Veins of the lower extremity, abdomen and pelvis"
SUNY Figs 35:04-03 - "Incisions and the contents of the rectus sheath."
Atlas of anatomy at UMich abdo_wall76 - "Venous Drainage of the Anterior Abdominal Wall"

To azygos system

To IVC or left renal vein

Unpaired	median sacral vein

External iliac	inferior epigastric · deep circumflex iliac vein

Internal iliac	posterior: iliolumbar · superior gluteal · lateral sacral anterior: inferior gluteal · obturator · uterine ♀ (uterine plexus ♀) · vesical (vesical plexus, prostatic plexus ♂, deep of penis ♂/clitoris ♀, posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀) · vaginal plexus/vein ♀ · middle rectal · internal pudendal (inferior rectal, bulb of penis ♂/vestibule ♀) · rectal plexus

Splenic	short gastric · left gastroepiploic · pancreatic · inferior mesenteric (superior rectal, left colic)

Superior mesenteric	right gastroepiploic · pancreaticoduodenal · jejunal · ileal · middle colic · right colic · ileocolic (appendicular)

Direct	cystic · left gastric/esophageal · right gastric · paraumbilical

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