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| Jugular veins | |
|---|---|
 View of the veins of the neck. | |
| Details | |
| System | Circulatory system |
| Drains from | Head |
| Drains to | Brachiocephalic vein (internal),subclavian vein (external) |
| Artery | Common carotid artery (internal) |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Venae iugulares |
| MeSH | D007601 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thejugular veins (Latin:Venae iugulares) areveins that takeblood from thehead back to theheart via thesuperior vena cava. Theinternal jugular vein descends next to theinternal carotid artery and continues posteriorly to thesternocleidomastoid muscle.[1]
There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal.
The left and right external jugular veins drain into thesubclavian veins. The internal jugular veins join with the subclavian veins more medially to form thebrachiocephalic veins. Finally, the left and right brachiocephalic veins join to form thesuperior vena cava, which delivers deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart.[2] The jugular vein has tributaries consisting ofpetrosal sinus,facial,lingual, pharylingual, thethyroid, and sometimes theoccipital vein.[3]
Theinternal jugular vein is formed by theanastomosis of blood from thesigmoid sinus of thedura mater and theinferior petrosal sinus. The internal jugular runs with thecommon carotid artery andvagus nerve inside thecarotid sheath. It provides venous drainage for the contents of theskull.
Theexternal jugular vein runssuperficially tosternocleidomastoid.
There is also another minor jugular vein, theanterior jugular vein, draining the submaxillary region.
Thejugular venous pressure is an indirectly observed pressure over thevenous system. It can be useful in the differentiation of different forms ofheart andlung disease.
In the jugular veins pressure waveform, upward deflections correspond with (A) atrial contraction, (C) ventricular contraction (and resulting bulging of perspicuous into theright atrium during isovolumic systole), and (V) atrial venous filling. The downward deflections correspond with (X) the atrium relaxing (and the perspicuous valve moving downward) and (y) the filling of ventricle after the tricuspid opens.
Components include:
The jugular vein is prominent inheart failure. When the patient is sitting or in a semirecumbent position, the height of the jugular veins and their pulsations provides an estimate of thecentral venous pressure and gives important information about whether the heart is keeping up with the demands on it or is failing.[4] Distension of the jugular is a potential sign of heart failure,cardiac tamponade, orcoronary artery disease.
Examination of the neck veins is routinely performed to evaluateatrial pressure and to estimate intravascular volume in patients with dyspnea, edema, or hypovolemia.[1] Elevated venous pressure may indicate left or rightventricular failure orheart disease.[1]
Symptoms associated with abnormal flow or pressure in the jugular veins includehearing loss,dizziness,blurry vision, swollen eyes, neck pain,headaches, and sleeping difficulty.
The jugular vein is the subject of anidiom in theEnglish language: "to go for the jugular" means to attack decisively at the weakest point. However, this phrase is anatomically inaccurate, as the jugular is not the most critical or vulnerable point in the cardiovascular system. The jugular vein runs parallel to the carotid artery and operates under much lower pressure, returning deoxygenated blood to the heart, whereas the carotid artery, a high-pressure vessel supplying oxygenated blood to the brain, is far more critical and vulnerable in sustaining cerebral circulation.[5][6]