Common Iliac Vein

**Semantic type:** Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component

**Definition:** A blood vessel containing deoxygenated blood formed by the joining of the internal and external iliac veins at the pelvic brim that runs upward behind the internal iliac artery to the right side of the fifth lumbar vertebra where it joins with its counterpart from the opposite side of the body to form the inferior vena cava.

**Synonyms:** - Structure of common iliac vein (body structure)