Right brachiocephalic vein
Vena brachiocephalica dextra
Definition
The right brachiocephalic vein is a vessel located at the thoracic inlet that drains venous blood from the head, neck, and right thoracic limb into the cranial vena cava.
It is formed by the union of the right external jugular vein and the right subclavian vein, generally at the level of the thoracic inlet. Depending on the species, it may also receive the right internal jugular vein when it is well developed. It courses medially and slightly caudally within the cranial mediastinum and joins the left 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.
