A patient with a mass blocking the right upper lobe will have blood returning to the heart via which veins?

In a scenario where a mass is blocking the right upper lobe, blood returning from that area primarily utilizes the internal mammary and intercostal veins. The right upper lobe drains primarily into the right pulmonary veins, which then connect with the left atrium of the heart. However, in cases where there may be an obstruction or blockage, collateral circulation can occur, leading venous blood from the thoracic wall to be rerouted through the internal mammary and intercostal veins for drainage. These veins are responsible for draining the anterior and lateral aspects of the chest wall and can provide alternative routes for venous blood return to the systemic circulation when normal pulmonary pathways are compromised.

The other options are less relevant to the blockage scenario in the right upper lobe. The femoral and popliteal veins are part of the lower extremity venous system, thereby not directly involved in the thoracic cavity's blood return. Subclavian and jugular veins primarily drain blood from the upper limbs and head and neck, but they do not specifically account for the right upper lobe blockage scenario. Hepatic veins pertain to the liver and would not be involved in the drainage from the thoracic cavity. Thus, the internal mammary and intercost