A pair of large veins in the neck that drain blood from the head and brain back toward the heart.
Structure
There are internal and external jugular veins on each side. The internal jugular is the larger of the two and runs alongside the common carotid artery and the vagus nerve within the carotid sheath.
Function
The internal jugular drains the dural venous sinuses of the brain and most of the head, while the external jugular drains the scalp and superficial face.
Clinical note
Jugular venous pressure can be observed at the bedside and provides a useful estimate of right-atrial pressure and heart failure status.
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