Superficial venous patterns in the cubital region of Indians

Abstract

AbstractThe patterns of the superficial veins of the cubital region were studied in 536 Indian subjects both living and dead. Three basic pattern types were noted. Type I had a median cubital vein joining the cephalic and basilic veins in the cubital region. Type II had the cephalic vein itself draining into the basilic vein in the cubital region. Type III showed the absence of a direct communication between the cephalic and basilic veins in the cubital region. The median vein of the forearm in these latter cases joined either of the cephalic and the basilic veins (type III A) or after bifurcating into a median cephalic and a median basilic vein joined both these veins (type III B). Type I was found to be the most common pattern (67.5%) followed by type II (19.5%), with types III A and III B accounting for 6% and 6.5% of the cases, respectively. Renaming of the median cubital vein as the oblique cubital vein because of its direction and renaming of the median basilic and lateral basilic veins as medial and lateral cubital veins since they follow the medial and lateral borders of cubital fossa respectively has been suggested.