Internal jugular vein
Updates to Article Attributes
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)
common facial vein (which drains facial vein and anterior branch of retromandibular vein)
A handy mnemonic to recall the tributaries of 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)
first part of the subclavian artery
pleura of lung apices
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/inferior-petrosal-sinus">inferior petrosal sinus</a> (origin)</p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/sigmoid-sinus">sigmoid dural venous sinus</a> (origin)</p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/pharyngeal-veins">pharyngeal veins</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/common-facial-vein">common facial vein</a> (which drains <a href="/articles/facial-vein">facial vein</a> and anterior branch of <a href="/articles/retromandibular-vein">retromandibular vein</a>)</p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/lingual-vein">lingual vein</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/superior-thyroid-vein">superior thyroid vein</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/middle-thyroid-vein">middle thyroid vein</a></p></li>
- +</ul><p>A handy <a href="/articles/internal-jugular-vein-tributaries-mnemonic-1">mnemonic</a> to recall the tributaries of the internal jugular vein is:</p><ul><li><p>Medical Schools Let Fun People In</p></li></ul><h5>Relations</h5><ul>
- +<li><p>surrounded by accompanying lymph nodes</p></li>
-<a href="/articles/inferior-petrosal-sinus">inferior petrosal sinus</a> (origin)</li>- +<p>relation to internal carotid artery</p>
- +<ul>
- +<li><p>C2: posteriorly</p></li>
- +<li><p>C3: posterolaterally</p></li>
-<a href="/articles/sigmoid-sinus">sigmoid dural venous sinus</a> (origin)</li>-<li><a href="/articles/pharyngeal-veins">pharyngeal veins</a></li>-<li>-<a href="/articles/common-facial-vein">common facial vein</a> (which drains <a href="/articles/facial-vein">facial vein</a> and anterior branch of <a href="/articles/retromandibular-vein">retromandibular vein</a>)</li>-<li><a href="/articles/lingual-vein">lingual vein</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/superior-thyroid-vein">superior thyroid vein</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/middle-thyroid-vein">middle thyroid vein</a></li>-</ul><p>A handy <a href="/articles/internal-jugular-vein-tributaries-mnemonic-1">mnemonic</a> to recall the tributaries of the internal jugular vein is:</p><ul><li>Medical Schools Let Fun People In</li></ul><h5>Relations</h5><ul>-<li>surrounded by accompanying lymph nodes</li>-<li>relation to internal carotid artery<ul>-<li>C2: posteriorly</li>-<li>C3: posterolaterally</li>-<li>C4: laterally<ul><li>vagus nerve (CN X) always situated between the ICA and IJV</li></ul>- +<p>C4: laterally</p>
- +<ul><li><p>vagus nerve (CN X) always situated between the ICA and IJV</p></li></ul>
-<li>anteriorly (i.e. is crossed by these structures)<ul>-<li>upper third: spinal root of <a href="/articles/accessory-nerve-1">accessory nerve (CN XI)</a>-</li>-<li>middle third: lower root of <a href="/articles/ansa-cervicalis">ansa cervicalis</a>-</li>-<li>lower third: <a href="/articles/sternocleidomastoid-muscle">sternocleidomastoid muscle</a>, tendon of <a href="/articles/omohyoid-muscle">omohyoid muscle</a>-</li>- +<li>
- +<p>anteriorly (i.e. is crossed by these structures)</p>
- +<ul>
- +<li><p>upper third: spinal root of <a href="/articles/accessory-nerve-1">accessory nerve (CN XI)</a></p></li>
- +<li><p>middle third: lower root of <a href="/articles/ansa-cervicalis">ansa cervicalis</a></p></li>
- +<li><p>lower third: <a href="/articles/sternocleidomastoid-muscle">sternocleidomastoid muscle</a>, tendon of <a href="/articles/omohyoid-muscle">omohyoid muscle</a></p></li>
-<li>posteriorly (from superior to inferior as the IJV descends in the neck)<ul>-<li>lateral mass of <a href="/articles/c1">C1</a> (atlas)</li>-<li><a href="/articles/middle-scalene-muscle">middle scalene muscle</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/anterior-scalene-muscle">anterior scalene muscle</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/phrenic-nerve">phrenic nerve</a></li>-<li>first part of the <a href="/articles/subclavian-artery">subclavian artery</a>-</li>-<li>pleura of <a href="/articles/lung">lung</a> apices</li>- +<li>
- +<p>posteriorly (from superior to inferior as the IJV descends in the neck)</p>
- +<ul>
- +<li><p>lateral mass of <a href="/articles/atlas-c1" title="Atlas (C1)">C1 (atlas)</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/middle-scalene-muscle">middle scalene muscle</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/anterior-scalene-muscle">anterior scalene muscle</a></p></li>
- +<li><p><a href="/articles/phrenic-nerve">phrenic nerve</a></p></li>
- +<li><p>first part of the <a href="/articles/subclavian-artery">subclavian artery</a></p></li>
- +<li><p>pleura of <a href="/articles/lung">lung</a> apices</p></li>
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