The
venae cavae (from the Latin for "hollow veins", singular "vena cava") are large
veins (venous trunks) that return deoxygenated
blood from the body into the
heart. In humans they are called the
superior vena cava and the
inferior vena cava, and both empty into the
right atrium. They are located slightly off-center, toward the right side of the body.