| venae lumbales | Five in number, these veins accompany the lumbar arteries, drain the posterior body wall and the lumbar vertebral venous plexuses, and terminate anteriorly as follows: the first and second in the ascending lumbar vein, the third and fourth in the inferior vena cava, and the fifth in the iliolumbar vein; all communicate via the ascending lumbar veins. Synonym: venae lumbales. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| venae mediastinales | Several small veins from the mediastinum emptying into the brachiocephalic veins or the superior vena cava. Synonym: venae mediastinales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae medullae oblongatae | Several veins draining the medulla oblongata; they are tributaries of the anterior spinal vein and the petrosal vein. Synonym: veins of medulla oblongata. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae meningeae | Veins that accompany the meningeal arteries; they communicate with venous sinuses and diploic veins and drain into regional veins outside the cranial vault. Synonym: venae meningeae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae meningeae mediae | The venae comitantes of the middle meningeal artery that empty into the pterygoid plexus. Synonym: venae meningeae mediae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae mesencephalicae | Several veins draining the mesencephalon; the posterior ones are tributaries to the great cerebral vein; the lateral ones are tributaries to the basal vein. Synonym: mesencephalic veins. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae metacarpeae dorsales | Three veins on the dorsum of the hand draining blood from the four medial digits into the dorsal venous network of the hand. Synonym: venae metacarpeae dorsales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae metacarpeae palmares | Veins emptying into the deep venous arch from which the radial and ulnar veins arise. Synonym: venae metacarpeae palmares. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae metatarseae dorsales | Veins arising from the dorsal digital veins forming the dorsal venous arch of the foot. Synonym: venae metatarseae dorsales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae metatarseae plantares | Veins receiving the plantar digital veins and draining in turn into the deep plantar venous arch, which empties into the medial and lateral plantar veins. Synonym: venae metatarseae plantares. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae musculophrenicae | The veins that accompany the musculophrenic artery and drain blood from the upper abdominal wall, and anterior portions of the lower intercostal spaces and the diaphragm. Synonym: venae musculophrenicae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae nasales externae | Several vessels that drain the external nose, emptying into the angular or facial vein. Synonym: venae nasales externae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae nuclei caudati | Small veins from the caudate nucleus draining into the superior thalamostriate vein. Synonym: veins of caudate nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae occipitales | The superior cerebral veins draining the occipital cortex and emptying into the superior sagittal sinus and the transverse sinus. Synonym: venae occipitales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| venae oesophageae | Series of veins draining the submucous venous plexus of the oesophagus; proceding inferiorly from the cervical portion of the oesophagus, they drain to the inferior thyroid vein, the superior intercostal veins, the azygos, accessory hemiazygos and hemiazygos veins, all of which are ultimately tributaries of the superior vena cava; the most inferior oesophageal veins, from the cardiac portion of the oesophagus, drain via the oesophageal branches of the left gastric vein, a tributary of the portal vein. Thus, the submucosal veins of the inferior oesophagus form a portocaval anastomoses, and are subject to the formation of varicosities in portal hypertension. Synonym: venae oesophageae. (05 Mar 2000) |