Left Brachiocephalic vein
Vena brachiocephalica sinistra
Definition
The left brachiocephalic vein is a vessel located at the thoracic inlet that drains venous blood from the head, neck, and left thoracic limb into the cranial vena cava.
It is formed by the union of the left external jugular vein and the left subclavian vein, generally at the level of the thoracic inlet. Depending on the species, it may also receive the left internal jugular vein when it is well developed. It courses medially and slightly caudally within the cranial mediastinum and joins the right brachiocephalic vein to form the cranial vena cava.
References
Dyce KM, Sack WO, Wensing CJG. Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2017.
König HE, Liebich HG. Veterinary Anatomy of Domestic Mammals: Textbook and Colour Atlas. 6th ed. Schattauer; 2020.
Evans HE, de Lahunta A. Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2013.
