| Vasa vasorum | |
|---|---|
 Micrograph showing cystic medial degeneration. The tunica adventitia (also called tunica externia; yellow at bottom of image) with vaso vasorum is also seen. Movat's stain. | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Wall of large blood vessels |
| System | Circulatory system |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | vasa vasorum |
| MeSH | D014651 |
| TA98 | A12.0.00.028 |
| TH | H3.09.02.0.06001 |
| FMA | 77433 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Vasa vasorum are small blood vessels that comprise a vascular network supplying the walls of large blood vessels, such as elastic arteries (e.g., the aorta) and large veins (e.g., the venae cavae).
The name derives from Latin 'the vessels of the vessels'. Occasionally two different singular forms are seen: vasa vasis (from Latin 'the vessels of a vessel') and vas vasis (from Latin 'a vessel of a vessel').