Corpus: Axillary vein

The axillary vein is a large vein around the armpit (axilla). It is the accompanying vein of the axillary artery.

The axillary vein is a continuation of the brachial vein and begins approximately at the lower edge of the teres major muscle. At the level of the lateral edge of the first rib, the axillary vein transitions into the subclavian vein.

The axillary vein receives inflows from the cephalic vein (running on the humerus in the lateral bicipital groove and at the shoulder in the deltopectoral groove) and the basilic vein. Additionally, it collects blood from the thoracodorsal vein (accompanying vein of the thoracodorsal artery). Through the inflow of the thoracoepicastric vein, there are both caval-caval and porto-caval anastomoses with the paraumbilical veins and the superficial epigastric vein.

The axillary vein transports venous, oxygen-poor blood from the arm, the armpit, and the lateral thoracic wall to the richt heart.