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Superficial epigastric vein: anatomy, location and function

A superficial vein of the lower abdominal wall. It drains the skin of the lower abdominal wall.

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Muscles100%

Structures

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Highlighted in the model: Superficial epigastric vein. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Superficial epigastric vein at a glance

What it is
A superficial vein of the lower abdominal wall.
Location
It runs with the superficial epigastric artery and drains into the great saphenous vein.
Function
It drains the skin of the lower abdominal wall.
Body system
Cardiovascular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA44341 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • It connects with the thoraco-epigastric veins.

Clinical relevance

In portal hypertension or inferior vena cava obstruction it can dilate and connect with paraumbilical veins around the umbilicus (caput medusae).

Structures next to the superficial epigastric vein

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Superficial epigastric vein (FMA44341). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.