Jugular phlebectasia

The jugular vein plays an extremely important role in people's physical health, and jugular phlebectasia is very common in daily life, so people need to have a full understanding of it. The internal jugular veins are divided into intracranial branches and extracranial branches. Jugular vein dilatation can not only cause great harm to the patient's physical health, but in severe cases it can even directly endanger life safety, so it is particularly important to have a full understanding of this.

1. Jugular phlebectasia

The internal jugular vein is the largest venous trunk in the neck. It is continuous with the intracranial sigmoid sinus at the jugular foramen. It travels along with the internal carotid artery and common carotid artery within the carotid sheath. It merges with the subclavian vein behind the sternoclavicular joint to form the brachiocephalic vein. Because the wall of the internal jugular vein is attached to the carotid sheath, the lumen is often in an expanded state, which is conducive to blood return. When the internal jugular vein is injured, the lumen cannot be closed, which can lead to gas entering the vein and causing air embolism.

2. The tributaries of the internal jugular vein are of two types: intracranial and extracranial.

1) Intracranial branches

Blood is collected from the meninges, brain, visual organs, vestibulocochlear apparatus, and skull through the dural sinuses.

2) Extracranial branches

① Facial vein: It originates from the medial angular vein, runs obliquely downward and backward through the nasal wing and the outside of the corner of the mouth, receives the anterior branch of the posterior mandibular vein near the mandibular angle, descends to the height of the hyoid bone, and is injected into the internal jugular vein. The facial vein collects blood from the soft tissues in front of the face. The facial vein generally has no venous valves above the plane of the mouth angle, and communicates with the intracranial cavernous sinus through the medial angular vein and ophthalmic vein. It can also communicate with the cavernous sinus through the deep facial vein, pterygoid venous plexus, and subophthalmic vein. Therefore, when an infection occurs on the face, especially the triangular area between the root of the nose and the corners of the mouth, if it is not handled properly (such as squeezing, etc.), the infection can be transmitted into the skull through the above-mentioned pathways. Therefore, this area is clinically called the dangerous triangle.

② Retromandibular vein: formed by the confluence of the superficial temporal vein and the maxillary vein in the parotid gland. Collect blood returning from the distribution area of ​​the artery of the same name. The retromandibular vein is divided into two branches, the anterior and posterior, which flow into the facial vein and the external jugular vein respectively. The maxillary vein arises from the pterygoid venous plexus, which communicates with the cavernous sinus through the inferior ophthalmic vein or the emissive vessels of the foramen ovale and foramen rupture.

3) External jugular vein

It is the largest superficial vein in the neck and is formed by the confluence of the posterior branch of the posterior mandibular vein, the posterior auricular vein, and the occipital vein. It runs along the surface of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to the back of its lower end, penetrates the deep cervical fascia and is injected into the subclavian vein. The external jugular vein is superficial and can be seen subcutaneously. It is used as the site for injection, infusion, and blood drawing in clinical pediatrics.