Jugular foramen

Jugular foramen
Base of skull. Inferior surface. (label for jugular foramen is at right, third from the bottom)
Details
Latin	Foramen jugulare
Identifiers
TA
TH	{{#property:P1694}}
TE	{{#property:P1693}}
FMA	{{#property:P1402}}
Anatomical terminology [[[d:|edit on Wikidata]]]

The jugular foramen is a large aperture in the base of the skull. It is located behind the carotid canal and is formed in front by the petrous portion of the temporal, and behind by the occipital; it is generally larger on the right than on the left side.

Contents

Cranial nerves IX, X, and XI and the internal jugular vein pass through the jugular foramen.

The jugular foramen may be subdivided into three compartments, each with their own contents.

• The anterior compartment transmits the inferior petrosal sinus and glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
• The intermediate transmits the vagus and accessory nerves (aka cranial nerves number X, and XI respectively).
• The posterior transmits the sigmoid sinus (becoming the internal jugular vein) and some meningeal branches from the occipital and ascending pharyngeal arteries.

An alternative imaging based subclassification exists, delineated by the jugular spine which is a bony ridge partially separating the jugular foramen into two parts:

• The smaller, anteromedial, "pars nervosa" compartment contains CN IX, (tympanic nerve, a branch of CN IX), and receives the venous return from inferior petrosal sinus.
• The larger, posterolateral, "pars vascularis" compartment contains CN X, CN XI, Arnold's nerve (or the auricular branch of CN X involved in the Arnold's reflex, where external auditory meatus stimulation causes cough), jugular bulb, and posterior meningeal branch of ascending pharyngeal artery.

Clinical significance

Obstruction can result in "Vernet's syndrome".

Additional images

• 

  Jugular foramen

• Gray193.png

  Base of the skull. Upper surface.

• Skull foramina labeled.svg

See also

• Occipitomastoid suture

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• Anatomy figure: 22:5b-12 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• Anatomy figure: 22:4a-08 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (IX, XI)
• Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier
• UCSD