Internal jugular vein

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Vein: Internal jugular vein

The fascia and middle thyroid veins. (Internal jugular visible at center left.)

Veins of the tongue. The hypoglossal nerve has been displaced downward in this preparation. (Internal jugular visible at bottom left.)
Latin	v. jugularis interna
Gray's	subject #168 648
MeSH	A07.231.908.498

The internal jugular vein collects the blood from the brain, from the superficial parts of the face, and from the neck.

It is directly continuous with the transverse sinus, and begins in the posterior compartment of the jugular foramen, at the base of the skull.

At its origin it is somewhat dilated, and this dilatation is called the superior bulb.

It runs down the side of the neck in a vertical direction, lying at first lateral to the internal carotid artery, and then lateral to the common carotid, and at the root of the neck unites with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein (innominate vein); a little above its termination is a second dilatation, the inferior bulb.

Above, it lies upon the Rectus capitis lateralis, behind the internal carotid artery and the nerves passing through the jugular foramen; lower down, the vein and artery lie upon the same plane, the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves passing forward between them; the vagus descends between and behind the vein and the artery in the same sheath, and the accessory runs obliquely backward, superficial or deep to the vein.

At the root of the neck the right internal jugular vein is placed at a little distance from the common carotid artery, and crosses the first part of the subclavian artery, while the left internal jugular vein usually overlaps the common carotid artery.

The left vein is generally smaller than the right, and each contains a pair of valves, which are placed about 2.5 cm. above the termination of the vessel.

[edit] Additional images

Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra.	Diagram showing completion of development of the parietal veins.	The veins of the neck, viewed from in front.	The vertebral vein.
The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries.	Scheme showing relative positions of primary lymph sacs.	The thoracic and right lymphatic ducts.	The thymus of a full-time fetus, exposed in situ.

[edit] See also

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.