Inferior vena cava

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Inferior vena cava

The inferior vena cava (or IVC) is the large vein

Vein

In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary vein and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood....
that carries de-oxygenated blood

Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
from the lower half of the body into the right atrium

Right atrium

The right atrium is one of four heart chamber in the human heart. It receives deoxygenated blood from the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava vena cava and the coronary sinus, and pumps it into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve....
of the heart

Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
.

It is posterior to the abdominal cavity and runs alongside of the vertebral column

Vertebral column

In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column of 24 vertebrae, the sacrum, intervertebral discs, and the coccyx situated in the dorsum aspect of the torso, separated by spinal discs....
on its right side (i.e. it is a retroperitoneal structure). It enters the right atrium

Right atrium

Common iliac vein

In human anatomy, the common iliac veins are formed by the external iliac veins and internal iliac veins and together, in the abdomen at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebrae, form the inferior vena cava....
s and brings blood into the right atrium

Right atrium

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Encyclopedia

The inferior vena cava (or IVC) is the large vein

Vein

Blood

Right atrium

Heart

Vertebral column

Right atrium

Drainage patterns

The IVC is formed by the joining of the left and right common iliac vein

Common iliac vein

Right atrium

Anastomosis

An anastomosis is a network of streams that both branch out and reconnect, such as blood vessels or leaf veins. The term is used in medicine, biology, mycology and geology....
with the azygos vein

Azygos vein

The azygos vein is a vein running up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column. It can also provide an alternate path for blood to the superior vena cava....
system (which runs on the right side of the vertebral column) and the venous plexus

Plexus

A plexus is a network. It has more specific meanings in multiple fields....
es next to the spinal cord

Spinal cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of neuron and glia that extends from the brain. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system....
.

The caval opening

Caval opening

The caval opening is a hiatus in the diaphragm of humans through which passes the inferior vena cava, the wall of which is adherent to the margins of the opening, and some branches of the right phrenic nerve....
is at T8. The specific levels of the branches are as follows:

Vein	Level >- \| inferior phrenic vein Inferior phrenic vein The Inferior Phrenic Veins drain the diaphragm and follow the course of the inferior phrenic arteries;* the right ends in the inferior vena cava;...	- \| hepatic vein Hepatic vein In human anatomy, the hepatic veins are the blood vessels that drain de-oxygenated blood from the liver and blood cleaned by the liver into the inferior vena cava....	- \| suprarenal veins Suprarenal veins The Suprarenal veins are two in number:* the right ends in the inferior vena cava.* the left ends in the renal vein or left inferior phrenic vein....	- \| renal vein Renal vein The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins"....	- \| gonadal vein Gonadal vein In medicine, gonadal vein refers to the blood vessel that carrying blood away from the gonad toward the heart.* Females : ovarian vein* Males : testicular vein...	- \| lumbar veins Lumbar veins The lumbar veins are veins running along the inside of the posterior abdominal wall. They are the lumbar equivalent of the posterior intercostal veins....	- \| common iliac vein Common iliac vein In human anatomy, the common iliac veins are formed by the external iliac veins and internal iliac veins and together, in the abdomen at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebrae, form the inferior vena cava....	L5

Because the IVC is not centrally located, there are some asymmetries in drainage patterns. The gonadal vein

Gonadal vein

In medicine, gonadal vein refers to the blood vessel that carrying blood away from the gonad toward the heart.* Females : ovarian vein* Males : testicular vein...
s and suprarenal veins drain into the IVC on the right side, but into the renal vein

Renal vein

The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins"....
on the left side, which in turn drains into the IVC. By contrast, all the lumbar veins

Lumbar veins

The lumbar veins are veins running along the inside of the posterior abdominal wall. They are the lumbar equivalent of the posterior intercostal veins....
and hepatic veins usually drain directly into the IVC.

Note that the vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the upper half of the body is the superior vena cava

Superior vena cava

The superior vena cava is a large, yet short vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper half of the body to the heart's right atrium....
.

Pathologies associated with the IVC

Health problems attributed to the IVC are most often associated with it being compressed (ruptures are rare because it has a low intraluminal pressure

Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
). Typical sources of external pressure are an enlarged aorta

Aorta

The aorta is the largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation....
(abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm, also written as AAA and often pronounced 'triple-A', is a localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta, that exceeds the normal diameter by more than 50%....
), the gravid uterus

Uterus

The uterus is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals, including humans. It is within the uterus that the fetus develops during gestation....
(aortocaval compression syndrome

Aortocaval compression syndrome

Aortocaval compression syndrome, is compression of the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava by the pregant uterus when a pregnant woman lies on her back, i.e....
) and abdominal maligancies, such as colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, includes cancerous growths in the colon , rectum and Vermiform appendix....
, renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal renal tubule, the very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products....
and ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor arising from an ovary. Although ovarian cancer is known to occur in many species, the majority of the medical literature and the focus of this article is on ovarian cancer in humans....
. Since the inferior vena cava is primarily a right-sided structure, unconscious pregnant females should be turned on to their left side (the recovery position

Recovery position

The recovery position or more technically known as the lateral recumbent position is a first aid technique recommended for assisting people who are unconsciousness, or nearly so, but are still breathing....
), to relieve pressure on it and facilitate venous return. In rare cases, straining associated with defecation

Defecation

Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus....
can lead to restricted blood flow through the IVC and result in syncope (fainting).

Occlusion of the IVC is rare, but considered life-threatening and is an emergency. It is associated with deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis

In medicine, deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. It is a form of thrombophlebitis .Deep vein thrombosis commonly affects the leg veins or the deep veins of the pelvis....
, IVC filters, liver transplantation

Liver transplantation

Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased liver with a healthy liver allograft. The most commonly used technique is orthotopic transplantation, in which the native liver is removed and the donor organ is placed in the same anatomic location as the original liver....
and instrumentation (e.g. catheter

Catheter

In medicine a catheter is a tubing that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage or injection of fluids or access by surgical instruments....
in the femoral vein

Femoral vein

In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal and is a continuation of the popliteal vein....
).

Embryology

In the embryo

Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular organism ploidy eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, Egg , or germination....
, the IVC and right atrium are separated by the Eustachian valve, also known in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
as the valvula venae cavae inferiore (valve of the inferior vena cava). In the adult, this structure typically has totally regressed or remains as a small endocardial fold.

Additional images

External links

- "Eustachian valve"

Inferior vena cava

Drainage patterns

Pathologies associated with the IVC

Embryology

Additional images

See also

External links