superior vena cava
Heart's upper intake
The superior vena cava is the large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper body—head, neck, arms, and chest—back to the heart's right atrium.
It's one of two major veins returning blood to the heart, paired with the inferior vena cava, which drains the lower body.
Medical contexts often abbreviate it SVC.
Heart's venous intake chamber
- subclavian veinVein below the collarbone
- jugular veinNeck's primary blood channel
- mediastinumCentral chest cavity region
- tricuspid valveThree-leafed heart structure
thorax · pericardium · sternum · pulmonary artery · trachea
Blood lacking oxygen molecules
- preloadInstall in advance
- cardiac outputBlood volume heart moves
- blood flowMovement through vessels
- perfusionFluid delivery to tissue
IV catheter to major vein
- catheterizationMedical tube insertion procedure
- thrombosisClot forming in vessel
- obstructionSomething blocking the way
- compressionForcing into smaller space
lung cancer · lymphoma · stenosis · stent placement · facial swelling
Radiographic image of torso
- CT scanTomographic diagnostic imaging
- echocardiogramUltrasound of the heart
- venogramVein imaging procedure
- MRIMagnetic body imaging
right atrium
Heart's venous intake chamber
- subclavian veinVein below the collarbone
- jugular veinNeck's primary blood channel
- mediastinumCentral chest cavity region
tricuspid valve · thorax · pericardium · sternum · pulmonary artery · trachea
deoxygenated blood
Blood lacking oxygen molecules
- preloadInstall in advance
- cardiac outputBlood volume heart moves
- blood flowMovement through vessels
central line
IV catheter to major vein
- catheterizationMedical tube insertion procedure
- thrombosisClot forming in vessel
- obstructionSomething blocking the way
compression · lung cancer · lymphoma · stenosis · stent placement · facial swelling
chest x-ray
Radiographic image of torso
- CT scanTomographic diagnostic imaging
- echocardiogramUltrasound of the heart
- venogramVein imaging procedure
MRI · angiography · ultrasound · fluoroscopy
- blood vesselsarteries, artery, vein, veins, capillaries
- circulationblood, circulation, arteries, veins, bloodstream
- thoraxthorax, chest, ribcage, chest cavity, chest wall
- veinsvein, jugular vein, saphenous vein, portal vein, pulmonary vein
- chest vesselsaortic arch, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, pulmonary veins, coronary arteries
- great vesselsaorta, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, aortic arch
superior, superiority, superiors, supers, cava, superego, supernormal, superiorly, vena cava