AXILLARY VEIN

SUMMARY

1. Origin: formed by the union of the venae comitantes of the brachial a. & basilic v.

2. Location: courses medial to the axillary a. in the axilla. Leaves the axilla by passing through the apex, anterior to the subclavian a.

3. Divisions: divided into 3 parts by the pectoralis minor. First part (above), second part (behind), third part (below).

4. Drainage: upper limb, axilla, superolateral chest wall.

5. Termination: over the upper surface of first rib, anterior to scalenus anterior it becomes the subclavian v.



Image: Case courtesy of Dr Sachintha Hapugoda, Radiopaedia.org. From the case rID: 52482

Reference(s)

R.M.H McMinn (1998). Last’s anatomy: regional and applied. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Gray, H., Carter, H.V. and Davidson, G. (2017). Gray’s anatomy. London: Arcturus.