Internal jugular vein
The internal jugular vein (IJV) is the major venous return from the brain, upper face and neck.
Gross anatomy
Origin and course
It is formed by the union of inferior petrosal and sigmoid dural venous sinuses in or just distal to the jugular foramen (forming the jugular bulb). It descends in the carotid sheath with the internal carotid artery. The vagus nerve (CN X) lies between the two.
After receiving tributaries from the face and neck (listed below) it continues to descend before descending into the thorax, usually posterior to the space between the two heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, before uniting with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein.
Tributaries
- inferior petrosal sinus (origin)
- sigmoid dural venous sinus (origin)
- pharyngeal veins
- common facial vein (which drains facial vein and anterior branch of retromandibular vein)
- lingual vein
- superior thyroid vein
- middle thyroid vein
A handy mnemonic to recall the internal jugular vein is:
- Medical Schools Let Fun People In
Relations
- surrounded by accompanying lymph nodes
- relation to internal carotid artery
- C2: posteriorly
- C3: posterolaterally
- C4: laterally
- vagus nerve (CN X) always situated between the ICA and IJV
- anteriorly (i.e. is crossed by these structures)
- upper third: spinal root of accessory nerve (CN XI)
- middle third: lower root of ansa cervicalis
- lower third: sternocleidomastoid muscle, tendon of omohyoid muscle
- posteriorly (from superior to inferior as the IJV descends in the neck)
- lateral mass of C1 (atlas)
- middle scalene muscle
- anterior scalene muscle
- pleura of lung apices
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
muscles of facial expression
- occipitalis muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
- buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- malaris muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
- orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus superior muscle
- incisivus inferior muscle
- muscle of mastication:
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- nose
- oral cavity
- pharynx
- larynx
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
-
vagus nerve (CN X)
- superior laryngeal nerve
- recurrent laryngeal nerve (inferior laryngeal nerve)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
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