Left common iliac vein
Vena iliaca communis sinistra
CardiovascularBlood vesselsPelvisLeft side
- What it is
- Formed in front of the sacroiliac joint by the external and internal iliac veins; the longer left vein runs obliquely to the right, behind the right common iliac artery, to unite with its partner at L5, to the right of the aortic bifurcation, as the inferior vena cava.
- Function
- Drains the pelvis and lower limb into the inferior vena cava.
- Size
- ~7 cm long, ~1.5 cm wide.
- Clinical note
- Receives the median sacral vein; compressed against L5 by the right common iliac artery in May–Thurner syndrome.