Veins are vessels that carry blood from the internal organs to the heart.

In the human body, vessels and nerves usually lie side by side. Such formations are called vascular-nervous bundles. An artery, nerve and veins pass through these bundles. Veins are often called the same as an artery, with several veins corresponding to one artery.

But there are exceptions. Some veins have their own name and their own topography features. We will consider such a vein today.

In this video, we will consider the anatomy, areas of blood drainage, and anastomoses of the internal jugular vein. This is one of the two large veins that provide venous outflow from the organs of the head.

The internal jugular vein (v. jugularis interna) is a large vein and a direct continuation of the sigmoid sinus. It drains blood from the organs of the head and neck. It arises at the level of the jugular foramen, below which there is a small widening called the superior bulb of the jugular vein (bulbus superior venae jugularis).

First, the vein goes behind the internal carotid artery, and then laterally to it, and is located behind the common carotid artery, in the investing layer together with it and the vagus nerve.

Above the confluence with the subclavian vein, the internal jugular vein has an inferior bulb of the internal jugular vein (bulbus inferior venae jugularis). There is one valve above and below the bulb. Through the sigmoid sinus, from which the internal jugular vein arises, venous blood flows from the system of the sinuses of the cranial dura mater, by which the superficial and deep cerebral veins, diploic, as well as ocular veins and labyrinthine veins end, which are essentially intracranial tributaries of the internal jugular vein.

The tributaries of the internal jugular vein can be divided into two groups with respect to the topography of the areas from which they drain blood

1. Intracranial tributaries are veins that bring blood from the cranial cavity.

2. Extracranial tributaries are veins that carry blood from the organs of the face and neck.

Diploic veins (vv. diploicae) are valveless, and blood flows through them from the bones of the cranium.

These are thin-walled, rather wide veins that arise in the spongy bone of the calvaria. In the cranial cavity, they communicate with the meningeal veins and sinuses of the cranial dura mater, and externally, through the emissary veins, they communicate with the veins of the common integuments of the head.

Let’s consider specific diploic veins.

• The frontal diploic vein (v. diploica frontalis) is the largest, it ends bythe superior sagittal sinus.



• The anterior temporal diploic vein (v. diploica temporalis anterior) ends by the sphenoparietal sinus.



• The posterior temporal diploic vein (v. diploica temporalis posterior) ends by the mastoid emissary vein.



• The occipital diploic vein (v. diploica occipitalis) ends by the transverse sinus or the occipital emissary vein.

Emissary veins (vv. emissariae). Sinuses sinuses of the cranial dura mater communicate with the veins located in the common integuments of the head. Through the emissary veins located in small bone canals, blood flows from the sinuses to the veins draining blood from the common integuments of the head.

There are three main emissary veins:

• The parietal emissary vein (v. emissaria parietalis) passes through the parietal foramen of the same bone, communicating the superior sagittal sinus with the external veins of the head.



• The mastoid emissary vein (v. emissaria mastoidea) is located in the canal of the mastoid process of the temporal bone.



• The condylar emissary vein (v. emissaria condylaris) passes through the condylar canal of the occipital bone.

The parietal and mastoid emissary veins communicate the sigmoid sinus with the tributaries of the occipital vein, and the condylar emissary vein, in addition, with the veins of the external vertebral plexus.

The superior ophthalmic vein (v. ophthalmica superior). It is valveless. The veins of the nose, forehead, upper eyelid, ethmoidal bone, lacrimal gland, membranes of the eyeball and most of its muscles end by it. It is larger than the inferior one. In the area of the medial corner of the eye, it anastomoses with the facial vein.

The inferior ophthalmic vein (v. ophthalmica inferior) is valveless. It is formed from the veins of the inferior eyelid and adjacent muscles of the eye, is located on the lower wall of the orbit under the optic nerve, and ends by the superior ocular vein, which exits the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and flows into the cavernous sinus.

Labyrinthine veins (vv. labyrinthi) exit the petrous part through the inner acoustic meatus and end by the inferior petrosal sinus.

Pharyngeal veins (vv.pharyngeales) are valveless, drain blood from the pharyngeal plexus (plexus pharyngeus) located on the posterior and lateral surfaces of the pharynx.

In turn, the pharyngeal plexus drains blood from the following organs:

• The pharynx
• The auditory tube
• The soft palate
• The occipital part of the cranial dura mater

The lingual vein (v. lingualis) consists of the following veins:

• Dorsal lingual veins (vv. dorsales linguae)



• Deep lingual vein (v. profunda linguae)



• Sublingual veins (v. sublingualis)

It drains blood from the tongue.

The superior thyroid vein (v. thyroidea superior) adheres to the artery of the same name, contains valves, and ends by the facial vein. The following veins end by the superior thyroid vein:

• the superior laryngeal vein (v. laryngea superior)



• the sternocleidomastoid vein (v. sternocleidomastoidea)

Sometimes one of the thyroid veins passes laterally from the internal jugular vein and ends by it independently as the middle thyroid vein (v. thyroidea media).

The facial vein (v. facialis) ends by the internal jugular vein at the level of the hyoid bone.

Smaller veins end by it, carrying blood from the soft tissues of the face:

• The angular vein (v. angularis)



• The supra-orbital vein (v. supraorbitalis)



• The superior palpebral vein (v. palpebralis superior)



• The inferior palpebral veins (v. palpebralis inferior)



• External nasal veins (vv. nasales externae)



• The superior labial vein (v. labialis superior)



• The inferior labial vein (v. labialis inferior)



• The external palatine vein (v. palatina externa)



• The submental vein (v. submentalis)



• Parotid veins (vv. parotidei)



• The deep facial vein (v. profunda faciei)

The retromandibular vein (v. retromandibularis) is a large vessel that passes in front of the auricle, through the parotid gland behind the ramus of the mandible, outwards from the external carotid artery, and ends by the internal jugular vein.

Blood flows into this vein through the following tributaries:

• Anterior auricular veins (vv. auriculares anteriores)
• The superficial temporal vein (v. temporalis superficialis)



• The middle temporal vein (v. temporalis media)



• The deep temporal vein (v. temporalis profunda)



• Veins of the temporomandibular joint (vv. articularis temporomandibularis)



• The veins of the pterygoid plexus (vv. plexus pterygoidei) – by which middle meningeal veins (vv. meningeale mediale), veins of the parotid gland (vv. parotideae), and veins of the middle ear (vv. tympanicae) end.

Dictionary

The internal jugular veinand its tributaries

Internal jugular vein

v. jugularis interna

Superior bulb of the jugular vein

bulbus superior venaejugularis

Inferior bulb of the jugular vein

bulbus inferior venaejugularis

Diploic veins

vv. diploicae

Frontal diploic vein

v. diploica frontalis

Anterior temporal diploic vein

v. diploica temporalis anterior

Posterior temporal diploic vein

v. diploica temporalis posterior

Occipital diploic vein

v. diploica occipitalis

Emissary veins

vv. emissariae

Parietal emissary vein

v. emissaria parietalis

Mastoid emissary vein

v. emissaria mastoidea

Condylar emissary vein

v. emissaria condylaris

Superior and inferiorophthalmic veins

vv. ophthalmicae superior et inferior

Facial vein

v. facialis

Labyrinthine veins

vv. labyrinthi

Pharyngeal veins

vv. pharyngeales

Pharyngeal plexus

plexus pharyngeus

Lingual vein

v. lingualis

Dorsal lingual veins

vv. dorsales linguae

Deep lingual vein

v. profunda linguae

Sublingual vein

v. sublingualis

Superior thyroid vein

v. thyroidea superior

Superior laryngeal vein

v. laryngea superior

Sternocleidomastoid vein

v. sternocleidomastoidea

Middle thyroid veins

v. thyroidea media

Facial vein

v. facialis

Angular vein

v. angularis

Supra-orbital vein

v. supraorbitalis

Veins of the superiorand inferior eyelids

vv. palpebrales superiores et inferiores

External nasal veins

vv. nasales externae

Superior and inferior labial veins

vv. labiales superior et inferior

External palatine vein

v. palatina externa

Submental vein

v. submentalis

Parotid veins

vv. parotidei

Deep facial vein

v. profunda faciei

Retromandibular vein

v. retromandibularis

Anterior auricular veins

vv. auriculares anteriores

Veins of thetemporomandibular joint

vv. articularistemporomandibularis

Veins of the pterygoidplexus

vv. plexuspterygoidei

Middle meningeal veins

vv. meningeale mediale

Parotid veins

vv. parotideae

Vein of the middle ear

vv. tympanicae

Superficial temporal vein

v. temporalis superficialis

Middle temporal vein

v. temporalis media

Deep temporal vein

v. temporalis profunda