THE VENA CAVA INFERIOR 



673 



Relations.— In front it is covered by the peritoneum, and crossed by the right spermatic 

 artery, branches of the aortic plexus of the sympathetic, the transverse colon, the root of the 

 mesentery, the duodenum, the head of the pancreas, the portal vein, and the liver. The 

 median group of the lumbar lymphatic nodes are also in front of it below, and at its com- 

 mencement the right common iliac artery rests upon it. 



Behind, it lies on the lumbar vertebrae, the right lumbar arteries, the right renal artery, 

 the right coeliac (semilunar) ganglion, and the right medial crus of the diaphragm. 



To the right are the peritoneum, liver, and psoas muscle. 



To the left is the aorta, and higher up the right medial crus of the diaphragm. 



Tributaries. — -The vena cava inferior receives the following veins: — ■(!) the 

 renal veins; (2) the right suprarenal vein; (3) the right spermatic or the right 



Fig. 529. — The Abdominal Aorta axd Vena Cava Inferior. 



Cystic artery 



Hepatic duct 



Cystic duct 



Common bile duct 



Portal vein 



Gastro-duodenal br. 



Right gastric artery 



Hepatic artery 



Right suprarenal vein 



Inferior suprarenal 

 artery 



Renal artery 

 Renal vein 



Vena cava inferior 

 Klidney 



Right spermatic vein 



Right internal sper- 

 matic artery 

 Quadratus lumborum 



muscle 



Right lumbar artery 



and left lumbar vein 



TJteteric branch of — 



spermatic artery 



Middle sacral vessels, 



Left lobe of liver 



CEsophagus 



Left inferior phrenic 



artery 

 Right inferior phrenic 



artery 

 Superior suprarenal 

 Left gastric artery 

 Inferior suprarenal 

 Splenic artery 



Left inferior phrenic vein 

 ,, , , Left suprarenal vein 



\_ Superior mesenteric 



artery 



Kidney 



-Ureteric branch of renal 

 Left spermatic vein 



Ureter 



Left internal spermatic 

 artery 



Inferior mesenteric 



artery 



Ureteric branch of 



spermatic 



Ureteric branch of 



common iliac 

 Common iliac artery 



External iliac artery 

 Hypogastric artery 



ovarian vein; (4) the lumbar veins; (5) the inferior phrenic veins; (6) the hepatic 

 veins; and (7) the right and left common iliac veins. 



(1) The renal veins [vv. renales] (fig. 529) return the blood from the kidneys. 

 They are short but thick trunks, and open into the vena cava nearly at right 

 angles to that vessel. The vein on the left side, like the kidney, is a little higher 

 than on the right, and is also longer, in consequence of its having to cross the 

 aorta. 



Each renal vein lies in front of its corresponding artery. The left vein crosses in front of 

 the aorta, just below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. It is covered by the inferior 

 portion of the duodenum, and receives the left spermatic, or the left ovarian in the female, 

 and usually the left suprarenal, and sometimes the left plirenic. There are rudiments of valves 

 m each vem where it joins the vena cava. Those on the right side, however, are less well 

 marked. 



(2) The suprarenal veins [w. suprarenales] (fig. 529).^There is usually only one suprarenal 

 vem on each side to return the blood brought to the suprarenal body by the three suprarenal 

 arteries. On the right side the vein opens directlv into the vena cava, above the opening of the 

 right renal vem. On the left side, it opens into the left renal. 



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