Vein Pathways

right atrium (deoxygenated blood drainage)

coronary sinus (N204)

great cardiac vein (N204) (left anterior myocardium)

middle cardiac vein (N204) (posterior myocardium)

small cardiac vein (N204) (right anterior heart)

superior vena cava

azygous (N226,218)

intercostal veins (right posterior chest wall)

esophageal plexus (esophagus)

hemiazygous (N226) (drains lower left posterior chest)

right brachiocephalic (N226)

inferior thyroid (N68) (inferior thyroid)

  (N226) (upper esophagus)

vertebral (N226)

spinal veins (N137) (cervical spinal cord)

pericardiophrenic (N200) (pericardium and diaphragm)

internal thoracic (N176)

anterior intercostals (N239) (anterior chest wall)

musculophrenic (N239) (diaphragm)

superior epigastric(N239)(superior, anterior abdomen) right lymphatic duct (N197) (tissue fluid/lymph return to blood)

internal jugular (N64)

middle thyroid 

superior thyroid

common truck

communicating vein to anterior jugular (N26)

lingual (N53) (tongue)

facial (N17) (face)

retromandibular (N64)

maxillary (jaw)

middle meningeal (N96) (dura mater)

cavernous sinus (N64)

transverse facial (N17)

superficial temporal (N17) (lateral scalp)

frontal branch (frontal scalp)

parietal branch (parietal scalp)

emissary veins (N94)

diploic veins (cranium)

occipital (posterior scalp)

through the jugular foramen (N7)

inferior petrosal sinus (N98)

basilar venous plexus (N98) (brainstem)

cavernous sinus (N98)

hypophyseal veins (N133, 141) 

(pituitary gland-great endocrine 

importance)

sphneoparietal sinus (N98)

superficial middle cerebral 

(N138) (parietal & temporal lobes)

superior ophthalmic (N98, 80) (eye)

sigmoid sinus (N97)

superior petrosal sinus (N98)

transverse sinus (N98)

straight sinus (N98)

inferior sagittal sinus (N137)

great cerebral vein (N137)

internal cerebral veins (N137)

(thalamus)

basilar vein (N137)

anterior cerebral (N139)(frontal lobe)

deep middle cerebral (N138) 

(parietal/temporal lobe)

superior cerebellar (N137) (cerebellum)

superior sagittal sinus (N97)

arachnoid granulations (N96) (return of CSF 

to blood)

occipital sinus (N97) (cerebellum)

external jugular (N26)

anterior jugular (N26) (throat)

suprascapular (N64) (top of shoulder)

transverse cervical (N163) (base of neck/trapezius muscle)

retromandibular (communicates with internal jugular)

posterior auricular (N64) (mastoid area)

left brachiocephalic (N226)

accessory hemiazygous (N226, 219)

intercostals (N226) (left upper posterior chest wall)

inferior thyroid, vertebral, pericardiophrenic, internal thoracic, 

internal jugular (all same as right side)

thoracic duct (drains tissue fluid/lymph into blood from left upper body and entire lower body)

external jugular (same as right)

brachiocephalic veins continue into shoulders as the subclavian vein (right 

and left being the same)

cephalic (N399), 448) (lateral arm and forearm)

subclavian veins continue through axilla as the axillary veins

brachial veins (N400) (continues into deep arm muscles)

basilic vein (N400) (continues along medial arm and forearm)

intermediate cubital (N448) (communicates between 

cephalic and basilic veins)

inferior vena cava (through diaphragm) (N220)

inferior phrenic (N248) (diaphragm)

hepatic veins (N226)

    sublobular veins (N233)

central veins (N274)

sinusoids (N275) (liver)

branches of portal vein (N273)

paraumbilical veins (N293) 

(falciform & round ligament

portal vein (N226)

left gastric (N226, 290)

esophageal branches

(lower esophagus)

right gastric (N290) (lesser

curvature of stomach)

posterior pancreaticoduodenal 

(N290) (head of pancreas, duodenum)

splenic (N290) (spleen, tail of pancreas)

      inferior mesenteric (N292)

left colic (descending colon)

              (sigmoid colon)

superior rectal (N293)

(upper rectum)

superior mesenteric (N292)

right gastroepiploic (N290) (greater

          curvature of stomach)

anterior pancreatico-

duodenal (N290)

(pancreas, duodenum)

middle colic (N293)

(transverse colon)

right colic (N293) (ascending colon)

ileocolic (N293) (cecum, ileum)

intestinal veins (N292) (jejunum,

                          ileum)

renal veins (N248)

inferior suprarenal veins (N314) (lower adrenal gland)

segmental veins

interlobar veins (N318)

arcuate veins

interlobular veins

glomerulus (renal corpuscle)

left gonadal vein (N248) (from left renal vein) (left ovary/testis)

right gonadal vein (N248) (from inferior vena cava) (right ovary/testis)

lumbar veins (N248) (lower back)

inferior vena cava bifurcation into common iliac veins

middle sacral (N370) (sacrum)

common iliac continues as external iliac after internal iliac branch

internal iliac (N370)

superior gluteal (N248, 292) (upper butt)

obturator (N370, 292)

superior vesical /uterine (N370, 248,292) (urinary bladder)(uterus)

inferior vesical/vaginal (N370, 248, 292) (urinary bladder)(vagina)

middle rectal (N370, 248, 292) (middle rectum)

internal pudendal (N 370, 248, 292) (perineum)

inferior rectal (N370, 292) (lower rectum)

inferior gluteal (N248, 292) (lower butt)

external iliac

deep circumflex iliac (N248) (lateral pelvic wall)

inferior epigastric (N248), 239) (anterior inferior abdominal wall)

paraumbilical veins (N236,239) (umbilicus) (also see portal)

external iliac continues through femoral sheath past inguinal ligament as the femoral vein

femoral vein (N466) (drains thigh muscles)

superficial epigastric (N239, 232) (lower belly)

superficial circumflex (N248, 239) (groin)

external pudendal (N239) (perineum)

great saphenous (N248, 510) (medial thigh & leg)

femoral vein continues back of the knee as the popliteal vein

genicular veins (drain knee)

lesser saphenous (N481) (posterior leg, gastrocnemius muscle)

anterior tibial (N487) (tibialis anterior muscle, dorsum of foot)

peroneal (N487) (peroneus muscle, lateral leg, lateral ankle)

posterior tibial (N487, 482) (posterior leg, medial ankle, 

plantar surface of foot)