The lateral thoracic vein (sometimes debatably referred to as the long thoracic vein) is a tributary of 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 i ...

. It runs with the

lateral thoracic artery In human anatomy, the lateral thoracic artery (or external mammary artery) is a blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the lateral structures of the thorax and breast. It originates from the axillary artery and follows the lower borde ...

and drains the

Serratus anterior muscle The serratus anterior is a muscle that originates on the surface of the 1st to 8th ribs at the side of the chest and inserts along the entire anterior length of the medial border of the scapula. The serratus anterior acts to pull the scapula fo ...

and the

Pectoralis major muscle 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, a ...

. Normally, the

thoracoepigastric vein The thoracoepigastric vein runs along the lateral aspect of the trunk between the superficial epigastric vein below and the lateral thoracic vein above and establishes an important communication between the femoral vein and axillary vein. This i ...

exists between this vein and

superficial epigastric vein Superficial may refer to: * Superficial anatomy, is the study of the external features of the body *Superficiality, the discourses in philosophy regarding social relation * Superficial charm, the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick an ...

(a tributary of

femoral vein In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor hiatus (an opening in the adductor magnus muscle) as the continuation of the popliteal vein. It ends at th ...

), to act as a shunt for blood if the portal system (through the liver) develops hypertension or a blockage.

External links

* - "Venous Drainage of the Anterior Abdominal Wall" Veins of the torso {{circulatory-stub