A supraclavicular cephalic vein drained into the subclavian vein.

Abstract

Although the cephalic vein follows a fairly consistent course, numerous variants have been reported. We found a rare anatomical presentation of the cephalic vein in a 75-year-old Korean male cadaver. The left cephalic vein was identified in the deltopectoral groove, ascended over the clavicle, and terminated into the left subclavian vein just before its union with the left internal jugular vein. The detailed knowledge on the variations of the cephalic vein is important for clinicians as well as anatomists since the approach through the axillary base is favored in many invasive clinical procedures.