Superior vena cava

Superior vena cava
Superior vena cava
	The superior vena cava drains from the left and right brachiocephalic veins into the right atrium
Details
Precursor	Common cardinal veins
Drains from	Left and right brachiocephalic veins
Source	Brachiocephalic vein, azygos vein
Drains to	Right atrium
Identifiers
Latin	vena cava superior, vena maxima
MeSH	D014683
TA98	A12.3.03.001
TA2	4745
FMA	4720
	Anatomical terminology

The superior vena cava (SVC) is the superior of the two venae cavae, the great venous trunks that return deoxygenated blood from the systemic circulation to the right atrium of the heart. It is a large-diameter (24 mm) short length vein that receives venous return from the upper half of the body, above the diaphragm. Venous return from the lower half, below the diaphragm, flows through the inferior vena cava. The SVC is located in the anterior right superior mediastinum.^[1] It is the typical site of central venous access via a central venous catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter. Mentions of "the cava" without further specification usually refer to the SVC.^{[citation needed]}