Jugular vein

Vein: Jugular vein
The veins of the neck, viewed from in front.
Gray's	subject #168 646
Drains to	superior vena cava
MeSH	Jugular+Veins

The jugular veins are veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava.

Internal and external

There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal.

• The internal jugular vein is formed by the anastomosis of blood from the sigmoid sinus of the dura mater and the common facial vein. The internal jugular runs with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve inside the carotid sheath. It provides venous drainage for the contents of the skull.

• The external jugular runs superficially to sternocleidomastoid.

The left and right external jugular veins drain into the subclavian veins. The internal jugular veins join with the subclavian veins more medially to form the brachiocephalic veins. Finally, the left and right brachiocephalic veins join to form the superior vena cava, which delivers deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart.

There is also another minor jugular vein, the anterior jugular vein, draining the submaxillary region.

Pressure

Main article: Jugular venous pressure

The jugular venous pressure (JVP) is an indirectly observed pressure over the venous system. It can be useful in the differentiation of different forms of heart and lung disease.

Three upward deflections and two downward deflections have been described. The upward deflections correspond with (1) atrial contraction, (2) ventricular contraction (and resulting bulging of tricuspid into the right atrium during isovolumic systole), and (3) atrial venous filling. The downward deflections correspond with (1) the atrium relaxing (and the tricuspid valve moving downward) and (2) the filling of ventricle after the tricuspid opens.

See also

• Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency