Quick Facts
Origin: Union of small vessels in the trapezius muscle.
Course: Passes within the posterior triangle of the neck to enter the external jugular vein.
Tributaries: None.
Drainage: Trapezius muscle.
Origin
The transverse cervical vein begins in the trapezius muscle as small tributaries that unite.
Course
From its origin, it traverses the posterior triangle of the neck and crosses the anterior surface of the scalenus anterior muscle. The transverse cervical vein drains into the external jugular vein (80%), the subclavian vein (12%), or both (8%) (Haas and Weiglein, 2009).
Tributaries
There are no named tributaries.
Structures Drained
The transverse cervical vein helps drain the trapezius muscle.
References
Haas, F. and Weiglein, A. (2009) 'CHAPTER 21 - Trapezius flap', in Wei, F.-C. & Mardini, S. (eds.) Flaps and Reconstructive Surgery. Edinburgh: W.B. Saunders, pp. 249-269.
