human anatomy The human body is the structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. They ensure homeostasis and the viability of the human body. It comprises a hea ...

, the cephalic vein is a

superficial vein Superficial veins are veins that are close to the surface of the body, as opposed to deep veins, which are far from the surface. Superficial veins are not paired with an artery, unlike the deep veins, which are typically associated with an art ...

in the arm. It originates from the radial end of the

dorsal venous network of hand The dorsal venous network of the hand is a network of veins within the superficial fascia on the dorsum (backside) of hand. It is formed by the dorsal metacarpal veins, and gives rise to veins such as the cephalic vein and the basilic vein ...

, and ascends along the radial (lateral) side of the arm before emptying into the

axillary vein In human anatomy, the axillary vein is a large blood vessel that conveys blood from the lateral aspect of the thorax, axilla (armpit) and upper limb toward the heart. There is one axillary vein on each side of the body. Structure Its origin ...

. At the elbow, it communicates with the

basilic vein The basilic vein is a large superficial vein of the upper limb that helps drain parts of the hand and forearm. It originates on the medial ( ulnar) side of the dorsal venous network of the hand and travels up the base of the forearm, where its ...

via the median cubital vein.

Anatomy

The cephalic vein is situated within the superficial

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs ...

along the anterolateral surface of the

biceps The biceps or biceps brachii ( la, musculus biceps brachii, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join t ...

Origin

The cephalic vein forms over the

anatomical snuffbox The anatomical snuff box or snuffbox or foveola radialis is a triangular deepening on the Anatomical terms of location#Relative directions, radial, Dorsum (biology), dorsal aspect of the hand—at the level of the carpal bones, specifically, the S ...

at the radial end of the

Course and relations

From its origin, it ascends ascends up the lateral aspect of the radius. Near the shoulder, the cephalic vein passes between the

deltoid Deltoid (delta-shaped) can refer to: * The deltoid muscle, a muscle in the shoulder * Kite (geometry), also known as a deltoid, a type of quadrilateral * A deltoid curve, a three-cusped hypocycloid * A leaf shape * The deltoid tuberosity, a part o ...

and

pectoralis major The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor, ...

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of mus ...

s (

deltopectoral groove The deltopectoral groove is an indentation in the muscular structure between the deltoid muscle and pectoralis major. It is the location through which the cephalic vein passes and where the coracoid process is most easily palpable. See also * Del ...

) and through the

clavipectoral triangle The clavipectoral triangle (also known as the deltopectoral triangle) is an anatomical region found in humans and other animals. It is bordered by the following structures: * Clavicle (superiorly) * Lateral border of Pectoralis Major (medially) ...

, where it empties into the

Anastomoses

It communicates with the

via the median cubital vein at the

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the me ...

Clinical significance

The cephalic vein is often visible through the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

, and its location in the deltopectoral groove is fairly consistent, making this site a good candidate for venous access. Permanent pacemaker leads are often placed in the cephalic vein in the deltopectoral groove. The vein may be used for intravenous access, as large bore cannula may be easily placed. However, the cannulation of a vein as close to the radial nerve as the cephalic vein can sometimes lead to nerve damage.

History

Ordinarily the term '' cephalic'' refers to anatomy of the head. When the Persian Muslim physician

Ibn Sīnā Ibn Sina ( fa, ابن سینا; 980 – June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna (), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic G ...

's Canon was translated into

medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...

, ''cephalic'' was mistakenly chosen to render the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

term ''al-kífal'', meaning "outer".

Additional images

File:Gray417_color.PNG, Cross-section through the middle of the forearm. File:Gray575.png, The deep veins of the upper extremity. File:Gray413_color.png, Cross-section through the middle of

upper arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between t ...

(cephalic vein labeled at upper left) File:Slide7yyy.JPG, Cephalic vein File:Slide16yyy.JPG, Cephalic vein

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Anatomy Veins of the upper limb Human surface anatomy Cardiovascular system Circulatory system