Quick Facts
Origin: Cricothyroid membrane.
Course: Passes laterally to reach the superior thyroid vein.
Tributaries: None.
Drainage: Cricothyroid membrane and muscle.
Origin
The cricothyroid vein originates as a confluence of small tributaries draining the cricothyroid membrane and muscle.
Course
The cricothyroid vein is accompanied by the corresponding cricothyroid artery. It passes laterally to drain into the superior thyroid vein.
Tributaries
There are no named tributaries; however, the cricothyroid vein may anastomose with its fellow vein of the opposite side. This could sometimes lead to the formation of a common cricothyroid vein in the midline, which then descends on the surface of the thyroid gland.
Structures Drained
The cricothyroid vein drains venous blood from the cricothyroid membrane and muscle.
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Vein
A venous sinus is a vein with a thin wall of endothelium that is devoid of smooth muscle to regulate its diameter.
