Left venous angle
Venous return · IJV + subclavian
The junction of the left internal jugular and left subclavian veins is where the thoracic duct empties and lymph rejoins the blood; low venous pressure and a terminal bicuspid valve keep blood from refluxing into the duct.
Traced from the start
- Testis and ovary
- Lower limb, scrotum and perineal skin
- Para-aortic (lumbar) nodesSuperficial and deep inguinal nodes
- Gut and abdominal viscera
- Preaortic nodes (coeliac, superior and inferior mesenteric)
- Head and neck
- Deep cervical nodesLeft supraclavicular (Virchow's) node
- Upper limbBreast
- Axillary nodes
- Lungs and thoracic viscera
- Tracheobronchial and mediastinal nodesParasternal (internal mammary) nodes
- Right and left lumbar trunksIntestinal trunkJugular lymph trunksSubclavian lymph trunksBronchomediastinal trunks
- Thoracic duct
- Left venous angle
Detail
- Formed by
- Left internal jugular and left subclavian veins, forming the left brachiocephalic vein
- Receives
- Thoracic duct, carrying three-quarters of body lymph
- Returned daily
- 2-4 L of fluid with the escaped plasma protein
- Also delivers
- Chylomicrons and recirculating lymphocytes into the systemic circulation
When it goes wrong
Raised central venous pressure in right heart failure or tricuspid regurgitation
Impaired lymph drainage that compounds peripheral oedema and ascites
Central venous thrombosis at the angle
Obstructed lymph return with chylous ascites or effusion
Practise this structure
No question in the bank is tagged to Left venous angle yet. Questions appear here automatically once one is — the question bank is free to browse in the meantime.