- Hemiazygos vein
Infobox Vein
Name = PAGENAME
Latin = vena hemiazygos
GraySubject = 172
GrayPage = 667
Caption = Diagram showing completion of development of theparietal veins. (Hemiazygos vein visible at center-left.)
Caption2 = Thevenæ cavæ andazygos veins , with their tributaries.
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DrainsTo =azygos vein
Artery =
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DorlandsPre = v_05
DorlandsSuf = 12850474
The hemiazygos vein (vena azygos minor inferior) is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region, just to the left side of thevertebral column .tructure
The hemiazygos vein and the
accessory hemiazygos vein , when taken together, essentially serve as the left-sided equivalent of theazygos vein . That is, the azygos vein serves to drain most of theposterior intercostal veins on the right side of the body, and the hemiazygos vein and the accessory hemiazygos vein drain most of the posterior intercostal veins on the left side of the body. Specifically, the hemiazygos vein mirrors the bottom part of the azygos vein.The structure of the hemiazygos vein is often variable. It usually begins in the left
ascending lumbar vein orrenal vein , and passes upward through the leftcrus of the diaphragm to enter thethorax . It continues ascending on the left side of thevertebral column , and around the level of the ninththoracic vertebra , it passes rightward across the column, behind theaorta ,esophagus , andthoracic duct , to end in theazygos vein .The hemiazygos may or may not be continuous superiorly with the
accessory hemiazygos vein .It receives the 9th, 10th, and 11th
posterior intercostal veins and thesubcostal vein of the left side, and some esophageal and mediastinal veins.Etymology
The name for this vein is derived from that of the
azygos vein . "Azygos" means 'unpaired', and "hemi" means half. This vein mirrors the bottom half the azygos vein.External links
* (NormanAnatomyFig|postmediastinumlevel5)
* - "Mediastinum: The Azygos Vein and Posterior Intercostal Veins"
*
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