Costocervical trunk shown in relation to subclavian arteries and their branche.
The costocervical trunk is a short artery that is one of three branches of the first part of the subclavian artery.
It arises from the back of the subclavian near the medial margin of the scalenus anterior. It arches upwards and backwards over the top of the pleura to reach the neck of the first rib, where it divides into the deep cervical artery and the superior intercostal artery.
The deep cervical artery passes backwards and disappears from view between the transverse process of the seventh cervical vertebra and the neck of the first rib.
The deep cervical vein is a large vessel which joins the vertebral vein.
The superior intercostal artery turns downwards, in front of the neck of the first rib, between the first thoracic nerve and the first thoracic ganglion of the sympathetic trunk. It gives a posterior intercostal branch to the first space and ends as the posterior intercostal artery of the second space.