Anatomical variations of superficial veins of the upper limbs

Author(s): Pedro Lucas Silveira Duarte*, George Augusto Barros e Matos, Glender Ferreira dos Santos, Luís Carlos Bandeira Santos Júnior, Jose Roberto Pimenta Godoy and Barbara de Lima Lucas

The cephalic, basilic, and median cubital veins constitute the superficial venous system of the upper extremity and are frequently utilized for vascular access procedures and medication administration. During a routine anatomical dissection, we observed an anatomical variation in the superficial venous pattern of the right upper extremity in a male dissected corpse. The notable variation included the absence of communication between the cephalic vein (CV) and basilic vein (BV) at the cubital fossa, coupled with the absence of both the intermediate vein of the forearm (IVF) and median cubital vein (MCV) in the superficial compartment. The basilic vein was observed traversing the basilic hiatus in the distal third of both upper extremities. In the contralateral upper limb, both the IVF and MCV were present in their typical anatomical positions. The identification of such venous anatomical variants through preoperative vein mapping is crucial for minimizing procedural complications and optimizing treatment outcomes.

Full-Text | PDF