Internal jugular vein

Vena jugularis interna

CardiovascularBlood vesselsWhole bodyLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is

Continues the sigmoid sinus from the jugular foramen at the skull base and descends in the carotid sheath lateral to the carotid arteries, joining the subclavian vein behind the sternoclavicular joint to form the brachiocephalic vein.

Function

Drains the brain, face and neck.

Size

~1–1.5 cm wide (widest of the neck veins), with a bulb at each end.

Clinical note

Its pulsations reflect right atrial pressure (the jugular venous pressure, JVP); the right one is the standard site for ultrasound-guided central venous catheters.