Quick Facts
Origin: First intercostal space.
Course: Posteriorly within the intercostal space.
Tributaries: Dorsal branch and intervertebral veins.
Drainage: Intercostal space, back, and skin.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The supreme intercostal vein is formed within the first intercostal space and is accompanied by the first posterior intercostal artery and the anterior rami of the first thoracic nerve. The vein is usually found superiorly in this arrangement.
Course
The supreme intercostal vein courses through the first intercostal space. It ascends across the neck of the first rib then arches forward over the apex of the lung to reach its corresponding brachiocephalic vein on the right or left. It may drain into the vertebral vein.
Tributaries
The supreme intercostal vein follows the branches of the posterior intercostal arteries, thus draining the same territory the artery supplies. They receive dorsal tributaries accompanying the dorsal branches of the posterior intercostal arteries and the intervertebral veins which accompany the spinal nerves. The supreme intercostal vein also forms an anastomosis with the anterior intercostal vein of the first intercostal space.
Structures Drained
The supreme intercostal vein drains the muscles of the intercostal space, muscle of the back, vertebral column, and overlying skin.
