Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Superficial epigastric veins
Venae epigastricae superficiales
- Origin
- Arise around the umbilicus within the subcutaneous tissue of the abdominal wall
- Insertion
- Descend to empty into the great saphenous vein (saphenous opening) or femoral vein
- Function
- Drains the subcutaneous tissue and skin of the infraumbilical abdominal wall
- Innervation
- Sympathetic vasomotor fibers
- Movement & chain
- Superficial low-pressure venous return
- Palpation
- Visibly dilated and palpable in venous hypertension
- Clinical
- Caput Medusae: prominent radiating subcutaneous abdominal wall varicosities seen in severe portal hypertension due to recanalization of the umbilical/paraumbilical veins (Cruveilhier-Baumgarten syndrome).
- Segmental innervation
- T10-L1 dermatomes
- In clinical practice
- Abdominal vein flow direction mapping (flow away from umbilicus confirms portal hypertension; cephalad flow throughout abdomen confirms IVC obstruction)
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)