
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Deep veins
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Deep vein is a term used to describe a vein that is deep in the body. It is used to differentiate deep veins from veins which are close to the surface, also known as superficial veins.
Deep veins are almost always beside an artery with the same name (e.g. the femoral vein is beside the femoral artery). Collectively, they carry the vast majority of the blood. Occlusion of a deep vein can be life threatening and is most often caused by thrombosis. Occlusion of a deep vein by thrombosis is called deep vein thrombosis.
Some named deep veins
Some named deep veins
Upper limb
Lower limb
- femoral vein, sometimes called the superficial femoral vein, which is a source of confusion.
- profunda femoris vein
- popliteal vein
- peroneal vein
- anterior tibial vein
- posterior tibial vein
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
