1. A Unique Variation of Azygos System of Veins
- Author
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Satheesha Nayak Badagabettu, Melanie Rose D’Souza, and Prakashchandra Shetty
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,musculoskeletal diseases ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Intercostal veins ,Hemiazygos vein ,Case Report ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Accessory hemiazygos vein ,0302 clinical medicine ,Superior vena cava ,medicine ,posterior mediastinum ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,hemiazygos vein ,azygos vein ,Posterior intercostal veins ,Vein ,business.industry ,intercostal vein ,Anatomy ,musculoskeletal system ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,medicine.vein ,Thoracic vertebrae ,cardiovascular system ,030101 anatomy & morphology ,Radiology ,Azygos vein ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business - Abstract
Knowledge of variations of azygos and hemiazygos veins is of importance to cardiothoracic surgeons and radiologists during various surgical, radiological, and echography techniques. We report some unique variations of azygos system of veins observed during dissection classes for undergraduate medical students. The azygos vein was formed as usual by the union of right subcostal and ascending lumbar veins. The vein ascended upward and to the left to reach the midline at the level of the 9th thoracic vertebra. After ascending till 5th thoracic vertebra, it gradually inclined to the right of midline and terminated by opening into the superior vena cava at the level of the 3rd thoracic vertebra. There was no major variation in the tributaries of the azygos vein on the right side, except that the right superior intercostal vein crossed behind the azygos vein from right to left and opened into the left side of the azygos vein. Further, two anastomotic veins connected the 10th, 11th and 12th posterior intercostal veins with each other to form two anastomotic circles on the right side of 10th to 12th thoracic vertebrae. The hemiazygos vein bifurcated on the left side of the 10th thoracic vertebra and the two ends opened into the azygos vein at the level of 9th and 10th thoracic vertebrae forming a venous circle in front of the 10th thoracic vertebra. The course of accessory hemiazygos vein was noteworthy. Instead of its classic descending course, the vein ascended upward from the left side of the 8th thoracic vertebra till the 6th thoracic vertebra before opening into the azygos vein.
- Published
- 2016