Internal jugular vein (v. jugularis interna)

Content

The human brain receives nutrients and oxygen through the blood, so its flow to it is extremely important. No less significant is the outflow of blood. In the event of its stagnation in the brain, processes with devastating consequences can begin. The outflow of blood from the brain provides a special vessel. The internal jugular vein is located on the right side of the neck, weakly covered by the subcutaneous muscle and is a convenient site for catheterization, along with the antecubital fossa.

What is jugular vein

They are also called jugular (jugularis), they are vascular trunks designed to drain carbon dioxide-saturated blood from the head and neck to the subclavian vessel. Sometimes they converge, forming the median vein of the neck. The internal cranial sinus, freeing from blood, has a jugular opening of the skull. Here, the vessel that accompanies the occipital artery flows into it, as well as the posterior ear vein. Further, it descends to the point where the collarbone and sternum converge. Here it connects with other vessels, forming the brachiocephalic venous highway.

The external jugular artery is smaller, its purpose is to drain blood from the outer part of the neck and head. Catheters are inserted into this vessel to inject medications. The trunk of the transverse veins of the neck flows into the external, connecting with the suprascapular vein. The anterior jugular vein is one of the smallest among them. Its beginning is located in the chin area.

Anatomy

Most of the blood is removed from the head by an internal vein. It has a diameter of 11 to 21 mm. The scheme of its location and tributaries is as follows. Starting at the cranial jugular foramen, it goes down, forming the sigmoid sinus, and further to the clavicle. Near the place where the subclavian vein joins it, which is formed by the confluence of the external vessel with the axillary. On the internal vein there is a thickening called the inferior expansion, over which the valves are located.

In the jugular fossa of the temporal bone is the superior bulb of the jugular vein, as its small expansion is called. The tributaries of the internal vein include both extracranial and intracranial. The first are tributaries of the facial vessels, connected by transverse anastomoses with the internal vein along its entire length. In the lower part of the neck, the venous trunks converge into a V-shaped cavity called the jugular fossa. The anterior jugular vein is located in the mental part, where it is formed by means of a superficial plexus of venous trunks in a small area.

By connections in the suprasternal interaponeurotic space, the anterior veins form the jugular venous arch. Intracranial tributaries are the sinuses of the dura mater into which the veins leading to the brain flow. They are venous collectors. The sinus connects to the trunks and to the venous plexuses. An important transverse sinus is located in the sulcus of the occipital bone, in the region of the plexus of the occipital vascular trunk with other vessels.

Extracranial tributaries remove blood from the pharyngeal plexus. Intracranial and extracranial veins merge through ligaments that stretch through the cavities of the skull. The location of the jugular vein directly under the skin makes it easy to feel and notice it if a person coughs or screams, and sometimes with any other tension. The transverse sinus is located in the groove of the occipital bone, connects with the sigmoid sinus and the occipital cerebral veins.

In the space between the pterygoid muscles and the branch of the lower jaw is the pterygoid venous plexus. From here, blood flows out through a network of large vessels, to which the anastomoses of the facial vein are connected. The superior thyroid vein passes near the artery of the same name and reaches the facial and internal jugular venous trunks. Lingual are the dorsal and deep veins of the tongue. At the large horn of the hyoid bone, they merge into one trunk of the lingual vein. Jugular characterizes the presence of a developed anastomosis.

Functions

Vascular trunks are critically necessary for the functioning of the human body. The functions are:

The removal of blood saturated with carbon dioxide and other waste products from the brain towards the heart.
Formation of blood circulation in the brain area.

Pathologies

When screaming, stressing, crying in all people, from infants to adults, blood vessels may swell, often on the right. This is the norm, although it often worries new parents. Vascular problems often occur in old age, but in the presence of congenital defects, they can also appear at a young age. The changes include:

Thrombosis.
Vascular expansion.
Sequelae of inflammation (phlebitis).
Birth defects, dilatation.

Phlebectasia

Jugular vein dilatation is common. The disease affects a person of any gender and age. Jugular vein ectasia occurs due to problems with the valves leading to blood stasis. Illness is often the result of disease. Often ectasia occurs in women and the elderly. With age, the connective tissue of the vessels weakens, varicose veins occur, which leads to disruption of the functioning of the valves. In women, similar problems arise with hormonal changes.

Due to the deep location of the vessel inside, it is difficult to distinguish between ectasia. Violations of the vascular trunk are visible to the naked eye from the outside. Phlebectasia of the right internal jugular vein is widespread. It can be almost invisible. Perhaps the appearance of unpleasant sensations on the neck, especially strong when screaming. Severe ectasia can change the voice, making breathing difficult.

Among the main causes of the disease:

Trauma, injury.
Passive lifestyle.
Valve problems.
Heart disease.
Leukemia.
Neoplasms.
Abnormal functioning of the endocrine system.

Phlebitis

The cause of the onset of the disease is often an inflammatory process in the middle ear, tissues of the mastoid process. If a blood clot turns out to be infected, then its particles can spread throughout the body along with the infection. With thrombophlebitis, the patient feels pain, swelling, swelling occurs, accompanied by symptoms of intoxication. The spread of infection may be accompanied by tachycardia, rash, fever, shortness of breath. The cause of phlebitis can be:

trauma or injury;
infection;
distribution of the drug in the tissues around the vessel.

Thrombosis

Blockage of a vessel by a blood clot leads to impaired blood flow. It is widely believed that thrombi are a pathology of the femoral, inferior vena cava or iliac vein, but blockage can also form in deep jugular vessels and their branches. It leads to a severe headache and pain in the neck when you try to turn your head, a pronounced venous pattern appears, swelling of the face. In some cases, the pain goes to the arm. Blockage is expressed in compaction. Among the reasons:

Problems with blood clotting.
Consequence of operations, installation of catheters.
Neoplasms.
Long period of immobility.
The use of hormones.
Pathologies of internal organs, inflammation and infection.

Aneurysm

It is a rare pathology that manifests itself in children aged two to seven years. The probable cause is an abnormal development of the fetus, leading to abnormal development of the connective tissue of the vessel. An aneurysm appears as an expansion of the vascular trunk, which increases when the child laughs, screams or cries. Symptoms include: sleep problems, increased fatigue, headache, restless behavior.

Methods for the treatment of pathologies

Phlebectasia does not pose a threat to life and is a cosmetic defect. It can be removed by unilateral ligation of the vessel, in which the outflow of venous blood will be taken over by collaterals and vessels located on the other side. Thrombophlebitis requires a surgical operation to remove the "sick" vessel, while eliminating thrombotic formations. Treatment of unilateral thrombosis involves conservative methods. To eliminate the venous aneurysm, resection of the malformation is used.

The following drugs are used for treatment:

It is an antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug. Used after surgery or injury to relieve pain, swelling. There are contraindications: individual sensitivity to the components of the drug.

It lowers the temperature, relieves inflammation, has an analgesic effect. Ibuprofen cannot be addictive, it does not produce a depressant effect on the central nervous system.

It is used for prevention, at the initial stages of vascular diseases, it is recommended for pregnant women and those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The drug is able to eliminate swelling and inflammation, has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels, makes the capillaries less extensible, increases their tone. Slightly thinning the blood, it promotes its outflow. The drug favors the saturation of blood vessels with oxygen.

Reduces capillary permeability and is effective if the patient has venous-lymphatic insufficiency, varicose veins. The drug is well tolerated, low toxicity, contraindicated only in case of individual susceptibility to its components and women who are breastfeeding.

Trental

The drug strengthens blood vessels, increases their elasticity, normalizes the supply of tissues with nutrients, and has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system. Trental makes the blood a little more liquid, promotes vasodilation, improves blood flow, and has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the cerebral cortex.

On the human neck there are several paired jugular veins that drain venous blood from the brain, each of these vessels has its own structural features. The internal jugular vein originates from the jugular fossa at the temporal bone of the head. In this place is located the superior bulb of the jugular vein (in Latin, bulbus venae jugularis superior), which is an expansion of the vessel. Any violation of the location or change in the size of the bulb of the jugular vein can provoke the development of serious diseases that require urgent treatment.

Possible pathologies

Many vital processes in the body depend on the state of the superior bulb of the jugular vein.

Most often, this part of the vessel undergoes two pathological changes:

excessive expansion and high location of the bulb of the jugular vein;
vessel blockage.

With the expansion and high location of the bulb, the functions of the inner ear may be impaired and hearing loss may develop, which increases with increased intracranial pressure. Blockage of the veins provokes circulatory disorders, resulting in brain damage. Both pathological processes are dangerous for human life and health.

If you suspect a disease associated with the jugular vein and other vessels, you should contact a surgeon or phlebologist. The attending physician will conduct an examination, make a diagnosis and select the appropriate treatment.

Symptoms

If the bulb of the jugular vein is damaged in a sick person, the following symptoms may occur:

swelling in the neck;
swelling of blood vessels;
increase in local temperature in the damaged area;
redness or blueness of the skin on the neck;
hearing loss;
loss of voice
respiratory disorders;
pain that appears on palpation of the neck, turning the head, etc.

Causes

There are many reasons that provoke pathological changes in the bulb of the jugular vein.

Most often, the condition of the vessels worsens under the influence of the following factors:

recent chemotherapy;
taking hormone-containing drugs;
injuries and mechanical damage to the neck;
tumors;
infectious diseases;
osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
cardiovascular diseases;
high blood pressure;
blood clotting disorder;
intoxication, etc.

Diagnostic methods

Various studies help to determine vascular diseases. Most often, sick people need to undergo several examinations at once in order to get an accurate result.

To diagnose the pathological condition of the jugular vein and its bulb will help:

neck ultrasound;
duplex scanning;
MRI and CT;
radiography;
phlebography;
puncture, etc.

Treatment

Only a doctor who is highly qualified and experienced in working with vascular pathologies can treat diseases associated with the expansion or narrowing of the veins. Methods of treatment of such diseases are selected in accordance with the diagnosis.

Most often, patients are prescribed:

anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic drugs;
agents that reduce swelling;
immunomodulating complexes;
drugs that reduce the viscosity and density of the blood;
drugs that tone the walls of blood vessels.

In most cases, drug therapy gives a good effect, but there are situations when it is simply impossible to manage with pills, injections and ointments alone. For patients in whom the disease is very difficult and threatens with serious consequences, operations are usually prescribed, during which the doctor will remove the blood clot or the affected area of the vessel.

Such procedures help to normalize the condition of not only the jugular veins, but also other vascular branches. Sometimes surgery is the only way to save a person's life.

In custody

The bulbs of the jugular veins, like the vessels themselves, play an important role in the circulation of the body. Any deviations and changes in the structure of blood vessels can lead to the development of diseases of internal organs and a deterioration in the quality of human life. To prevent such unpleasant consequences, you need to monitor the condition of the veins and, if necessary, seek medical help.

Very often, patients who come to see a surgeon or cardiologist receive a diagnosis such as jugular vein enlargement in the neck, the causes of this pathological condition may be different. Each person who has been diagnosed with such a disease should know what caused the disease, what symptoms it accompanies, and what consequences can develop in the body if treatment is not started on time.

Brief information

Expansion of the jugular vein (another name for this disease is phlebectasia) is a pathology in which the functioning of the venous valves located throughout the entire vessel is disrupted. The valves lose their direct functions and cease to freely release blood from the vein, as a result of which the vessel swells, stretches and deforms.

Due to such a pathological process, the blood flow begins to be distributed unevenly throughout the circulatory system, the problem begins to affect not only one jugular vein, but the entire venous network as a whole.

Why does

The reasons why phlebectasia of the jugular vein develops can be very different.

Most often, the pathological condition occurs due to the following factors:

injuries and injuries of the neck, back, head, spine (including fractures);
concussion;
sedentary lifestyle;
long stay in an uncomfortable position;
cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, ischemia, high blood pressure, etc.);
chronic diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, etc.);
damage to the muscle tissue of the back (for example, sprains);
diseases of the endocrine system;
tumors of various etiologies, oncology.

Main symptoms

Having found out what are the reasons for the expansion of the jugular veins, it is necessary to understand how this disease manifests itself. In the initial stages, the pathology can be asymptomatic and not cause a person any problems.

Over time, the pathology will begin to manifest itself with the following symptoms:

enlargement and swelling of blood vessels in the neck;
the appearance of a blue sac in the upper part of the vein;
swelling in the neck;
pain when touching the neck;
a feeling of constriction that appears when the head moves;
labored breathing;
loss of voice.

Diagnostic methods

To diagnose phlebectasia, the doctor will need to conduct a number of studies to assess the condition of the vessels of the neck and the whole organism as a whole.

To make a diagnosis, doctors prescribe to their patients:

blood test;
Ultrasound of the neck and chest;
MRI and CT of the skull, thoracic and cervical spine;
duplex scanning of neck vessels;
phlebography;
puncture with tissue sampling for examination.

All these studies and analyzes will help the doctor get the big picture and confirm or refute the preliminary diagnosis. If the surgeon or cardiologist nevertheless reveals phlebectasia in a severe stage, the patient will have to undergo an operation that will help normalize the vessels and prevent the development of severe concomitant diseases.

Treatment Methods

Depending on the stage of phlebectasia, the doctor will decide on treatment measures. If the swelling of the jugular veins is not very strong, you just need to constantly monitor the vessels and monitor their condition (for this, you need to undergo scheduled examinations every six months). With a strong expansion, the patient may be prescribed an operation, during which the affected part of the vein will be removed, while the healthy parts of the vessel will be connected to each other. Any drug treatment for phlebectasia is extremely rare.

Possible Complications

If the jugular vein is very swollen, and the person does not take any action and does not go to the doctor, this condition can provoke very serious consequences. If the vessel expands too much, it can rupture, causing bleeding that can be fatal.

Of course, such cases are rare, but this does not mean that the disease can be left to chance. A patient with a diagnosis of phlebectasia should always monitor his veins and, with any change in blood vessels, seek qualified medical help.

In custody

A person who has a predisposition to phlebectasia of the jugular veins should regularly undergo preventive examinations, lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, engage in moderate physical activity, without overloading the cervical spine. Only a set of preventive measures will help prevent the development and progression of a serious disease that can lead to serious complications.

jugular veins (jugular, vena jugularis) - vascular trunks that carry blood from the head and neck into the subclavian vein. Allocate the internal, external and anterior jugular vein, internal - the widest. These paired vessels are referred to as the upper system.

The internal jugular vein (IJV, vena jugularis interna) is the widest vessel that carries out the venous outflow from the head. Its maximum width is 20 mm, and the wall is thin, so the vessel easily collapses and just as easily expands when stressed. In its lumen there are valves.

The VJV originates from the jugular foramen in the bony base of the skull and serves as a continuation of the sigmoid sinus. After leaving the jugular foramen, the vein expands, forming the superior bulb, then descends to the level of the junction of the sternum and clavicle, located behind the muscle attached to the sternum, clavicle and mastoid process.

Being on the surface of the neck, the VJV is placed outside and behind the internal carotid artery, then it shifts slightly forward, localizing in front of the external carotid artery. From the larynx, it passes in combination with the vagus nerve and the common carotid artery in a wide receptacle, creating a powerful cervical bundle, where the VJV comes from the outside of the nerve, and the carotid artery from the inside.

Before joining with the subclavian vein behind the junction of the sternum and clavicle, the VJV once again increases its diameter (lower bulb), and then unites with the subclavian, from where the brachiocephalic vein begins. In the area of the lower expansion and at the place of its confluence with the subclavian internal jugular vein contains valves.

The internal jugular vein receives blood from intracranial and extracranial tributaries. Intracranial vessels carry blood from the cranial cavity, brain, eyes and ears. These include:

Sinuses of the dura mater;
Diploic veins of the skull;
cerebral veins;
meningeal veins;
Ocular and auditory.

The tributaries going outside the skull carry blood from the soft tissues of the head, the skin of the outer surface of the skull, and the face. Intra- and extracranial tributaries of the jugular vein are connected through emissary tributaries, which penetrate through the bony cranial foramens.

From the external tissues of the skull, temporal zone, and neck organs, blood enters the EJV through the facial, retromandibular veins, as well as vessels from the pharynx, tongue, larynx, and thyroid gland. The deep and external tributaries of the VJV are combined into a dense multi-tiered network of the head, which guarantees a good venous outflow, but at the same time, these branches can serve as pathways for the spread of the infectious process.

The external jugular vein (vena jugularis externa) has a narrower lumen than the internal one and is localized in the cervical tissue. It transports blood away from the face, outer parts of the head and neck, and is easily visible during exertion (coughing, singing).

The external jugular vein begins behind the ear, or rather, behind the mandibular angle, then goes down along the outer part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, then crosses it from below and behind, and flows over the clavicle together with the anterior jugular branch into the subclavian vein. The external jugular vein on the neck is equipped with two valves - in its initial section and approximately in the middle of the neck. The sources of its filling are the veins coming from the back of the head, ear and suprascapular regions.

The anterior jugular vein is located slightly outside the midline of the neck and carries blood from the chin. by fusion of subcutaneous vessels. The anterior vein is directed down the anterior part of the maxillohyoid muscle, slightly lower - in front of the sternohyoid muscle. The connection of both anterior jugular veins can be traced above the upper edge of the sternum, where a powerful anastomosis is formed, called the jugular venous arch. Occasionally, two veins join into one - the median vein of the neck. The venous arch on the right and left anastomoses with the external jugular veins.

Video: lecture on the anatomy of the veins of the head and neck

jugular vein changes

The jugular veins are the main vessels that carry out the outflow of blood from the tissues of the head and brain. The external branch is viewed subcutaneously on the neck, is available for palpation, so it is often used for medical manipulations - for example.

In healthy people, young children, swelling of the jugular veins can be observed when screaming, straining, crying, which is not a pathology, although mothers of babies often experience anxiety about this. Lesions of these vessels are more common in people of the older age group, but congenital features of the development of venous highways are also possible, which become noticeable in early childhood.

Among the changes in the jugular veins describe:

Thrombosis;
Expansion (dilatation of the jugular veins, ectasia);
Inflammatory changes (phlebitis);
congenital defects.

jugular vein ectasia

Jugular vein ectasia is an expansion of the vessel (dilatation), which can be diagnosed in both a child and an adult, regardless of gender. It is believed that such phlebectasia occurs when the valves of the vein fail, which provokes an excessive amount of blood, or diseases of other organs and systems.

jugular ectasia

Older age and female sex predispose to jugular vein ectasia. In the first case, it appears as a result of a general weakening of the connective tissue base of the vessels along with, in the second - against the background of hormonal changes. Among the possible causes of this condition are also long-term air travel associated with venous congestion and disruption of normal hemodynamics, trauma, tumors that compress the lumen of the vein with the expansion of its overlying sections.

It is almost impossible to see the ectasia of the internal jugular vein due to its deep location, and the external branch is perfectly visible under the skin of the anterior-lateral part of the neck. This phenomenon does not pose a danger to life; rather, it is a cosmetic defect, which may lead to medical attention.

Symptoms of phlebectasia the jugular vein is usually sparse. It may not exist at all, and the most that worries its owner is an aesthetic moment. With large ectasias, a feeling of discomfort in the neck may appear, aggravated by tension, screaming. With significant expansion of the internal jugular vein, voice disturbances, soreness in the neck, and even breathing difficulties are possible.

Not posing a threat to life, phlebectasia of the cervical vessels does not require treatment. In order to eliminate a cosmetic defect, a unilateral ligation of the vessel can be performed without subsequent disturbance of hemodynamics, since the outflow of venous blood will be carried out by the vessels of the opposite side and collaterals.

jugular vein thrombosis

This is a blockage of the lumen of the vessel with a blood clot that completely or partially disrupts blood flow. Thrombogenesis is usually associated with the venous vessels of the lower extremities, however, it can also occur in the jugular veins.

The causes of jugular vein thrombosis can be:

Violation of the blood coagulation system with hypercoagulability;
Medical manipulations;
tumors;
Prolonged immobilization after injuries, operations, due to severe disorders of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system;
Injection of drugs into the neck veins;
Taking medication (hormonal contraceptives);
Pathology of internal organs, infectious processes (sepsis, severe heart failure, thrombocytosis and polycythemia, systemic diseases of the connective tissue), inflammation of the ENT organs (otitis media, sinusitis).

The most common causes of neck vein thrombosis are medical interventions, catheter placement, and oncological pathology. When the external or internal jugular vein is blocked, the venous outflow from the cerebral sinuses and structures of the head is disturbed, which is manifested by severe pain in the head and neck, especially when turning the head to the side, increased cervical venous pattern, swelling of the tissues, puffiness of the face. Pain sometimes radiates to the arm from the side of the affected vessel.

When the external jugular vein is blocked, it is possible to feel the area of the seal on the neck corresponding to its course, swelling, soreness, increased venous pattern on the side of the lesion will indicate thrombosis of the internal jugular vein, but it is impossible to feel or see the thrombosed vessel.

Signs of neck vein thrombosis expressed in the acute period of the disease. As the thrombus thickens and blood flow is restored, the symptoms weaken, and the palpable formation thickens and somewhat decreases in size.

Unilateral jugular vein thrombosis does not pose a threat to life, so it is usually treated conservatively. Surgical operations in this area are extremely rare, since the intervention carries a much greater risk than the presence of a blood clot.

The danger of damage to nearby structures, nerves, arteries makes it necessary to abandon surgery in favor of conservative treatment, but occasionally operations are performed when the vein bulb is blocked, combined with. Surgical operations on the jugular veins tend to be carried out using minimally invasive methods - endovascular thrombectomy, thrombolysis.

Drug elimination of neck vein thrombosis consists in prescribing analgesics, drugs that normalize the rheological properties of blood, thrombolytic and anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics (papaverine), broad-spectrum antibiotics at the risk of infectious complications or if the cause of thrombosis is, for example, purulent otitis media. Venotonics (detralex, troxevasin), anticoagulants in the acute phase of pathology (heparin, fraxiparin) are shown.

Thrombosis of the jugular veins can be combined with inflammation - phlebitis, which is observed with injuries to the tissues of the neck, violation of the technique of introducing venous catheters, drug addiction. Thrombophlebitis is more dangerous than thrombosis due to the risk of spreading the infectious process to the sinuses of the brain, and sepsis is not excluded.

The anatomy of the jugular veins predisposes to their use for drug administration, so catheterization can be considered the most common cause of thrombosis and phlebitis. Pathology occurs when the technique of introducing a catheter is violated, it is too long in the lumen of the vessel, careless administration of drugs, the entry of which into soft tissues causes necrosis (calcium chloride).

Inflammatory changes - phlebitis and thrombophlebitis

thrombophlebitis of the jugular vein

The most frequent localization thrombophlebitis or phlebitis jugular vein is considered to be its bulb, and the most likely cause is purulent inflammation of the middle ear and tissues of the mastoid process (mastoiditis). Infection of a thrombus can be complicated by the ingress of its fragments with the blood flow into other internal organs with the development of a generalized septic process.

Clinic of thrombophlebitis consists of local symptoms - pain, swelling, as well as general signs of intoxication, if the process has become generalized (fever, tachycardia or bradycardia, shortness of breath, hemorrhagic skin rash, impaired consciousness).

With thrombophlebitis, surgical interventions are carried out aimed at removing the infected and inflamed vein wall along with thrombotic overlays, with purulent otitis media, the affected vessel is ligated.

jugular vein aneurysm

An extremely rare pathology is considered true jugular vein aneurysm which can be found in young children. This anomaly is considered one of the least studied in vascular surgery due to its low prevalence. For the same reason, differentiated approaches to the treatment of such aneurysms have not been developed.

Jugular vein aneurysms are found in children aged 2-7 years. It is assumed that the cause of everything is a violation of the development of the connective tissue base of the vein during fetal development. Clinically, an aneurysm may not manifest itself in any way, but in almost all children, a rounded expansion in the jugular vein can be felt, which becomes especially noticeable to the eye when crying, laughing or screaming.

Among aneurysm symptoms, impeding the outflow of blood from the skull, headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and rapid fatigue of the child are possible.

In addition to purely venous, malformations of a mixed structure may appear, consisting of arteries and veins at the same time. Their frequent cause is trauma, when a message occurs between the carotid arteries and VJV. Progressive venous congestion in such aneurysms, swelling of facial tissues, exophthalmos are a direct consequence of the discharge of arterial blood flowing under high pressure into the lumen of the jugular vein.

For treatment of venous aneurysms resections of the malformation are performed with the imposition of an anastomosis that discharges venous blood, and vascular prosthetics. In traumatic aneurysms, observation is possible if surgery poses a greater risk than expectant management.

The jugular veins are a paired vessel, the function of which is to drain blood from the vessels of the head and brain. This vein consists of two vessels: the internal jugular vein, the external jugular vein, and the anterior jugular vein.

Structure

The anatomy of the jugular vein is as follows:

external (Externaljugular). This vessel is located near the surface of the skin, starting near the angle of the human lower jaw. It can be easily noticed when turning the head or strong tension, as it is located immediately under the skin. The function of the external jugular vein is to drain blood from the back of the head and chin. Doctors often use this vessel to puncture and inject intravenous solutions with catheters;
steam room (Jugularisanterior). It consists of many small vessels, forming into a single channel in the chin area. With its help, blood is removed from the skin of the face;
internal (Jugularis interna). The VJV starts from the bulb of the cranial foramen, ending behind the sternoclavicular joint.

The VJV has a complex structure. Intracranial tributaries of the internal jugular vein are the sinuses of the meninges and veins that flow here from the brain, as well as the vessels of the inner ear and orbit.

In anatomy, the following extracranial tributaries of the internal jugular vein are distinguished:

pharyngeal. These vessels drain blood from the pharyngeal plexus: pharynx, soft palate, auditory tube;
lingual (deep, dorsal and hyoid vein);
superior thyroid, which includes the superior laryngeal and sternocleidomastoid veins;
facial, including labial, external palatine, deep, supraorbital, angular veins;
mandibular, passing behind the lower jaw through the parotid gland.

Functions

The jugular veins, including the internal jugular vein, have two main functions:

the withdrawal of blood saturated with carbon dioxide, toxins and other waste products from the cells of the brain, its cortex and other organs of the head back to the heart, thus ensuring blood circulation;
regulation of the distribution of blood in the head.

Diseases

Like any part of the human body, the internal jugular vein is subject to a number of diseases.

Phlebitis

Phlebitis is an inflammatory process of the walls of blood vessels. This name hides a whole group of diseases that have similar symptoms:
periphlebitis - inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue. A characteristic feature of the pathology is swelling at the site of the lesion with the preservation of normal blood flow;
phlebitis, in which inflammation is just beginning to affect the wall of the vessel. The edema becomes quite painful, but the blood flow is not yet disturbed;
purulent thrombophlebitis. In this case, the inflammatory process of all the words of the vessel wall develops. Edema at the site of the lesion is quite strong and painful, and a local increase in temperature is felt to the touch. In this case, the blood flow is disturbed (sometimes completely blocked), which further exacerbates the situation.

The reasons for the development of phlebitis are:

bruise or other injury;
the development of a purulent process in nearby tissues;
infection during medical procedures, for example, when installing a catheter or injection;
accidental ingestion of a drug (most often this process is caused by improper administration of calcium chloride).

Treatment consists in the use of drugs aimed at eliminating the inflammatory focus. To do this, you can use ointments and gels, for example, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen and others.

In addition, drugs should be used for:

improvement of blood microcirculation;
blood thinning;
strengthening of the vascular walls.

ectasia

Ectasia is an expansion of the lumen in a vein in a certain area. The disease can be both congenital and associated with age-related changes in the body.

The symptoms of ectasia are not too obvious. In this case, the affected area just swells a little, a bluish tint of the skin may appear. As the disease progresses, hoarseness, pain, and difficulty in breathing may occur.

The most common causes of ectasia are:

head or spine injuries;
hypertension, ischemia and myocardial disease;
the inability of the valves to remove blood in full, due to which the excess accumulates in the vein, stretching it;
leukemia and other oncological diseases;
prolonged immobility of the body due to diseases of the spine.

cervical thrombosis

Cervical thrombosis is a disease characterized by the appearance of platelet clots.

The most common causes of cervical thrombosis are:

infectious or hormonal diseases, due to which the blood thickens;
frequent overvoltage;
taking hormonal contraceptives by women after 35 years;
severe dehydration of the body;
prolonged immobility of the body.

The factors contributing to the development of cervical thrombosis are:

characteristics of the composition of the blood. Rapid clotting is good, but too thick blood can cause thrombosis. Radiation and chemotherapy can cause a change in the composition of the blood;
blood flow problems. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, malignant tumors - all this can negatively affect the speed of blood flow and cause stagnation of blood in the jugular vein;
violation of the integrity of the vessel wall. To eliminate the injury, the blood at the site of injury is baked, and blood is formed.

A symptom of cervical thrombosis is a rapidly increasing swelling, itching or numbness of the skin, the appearance of a sharp pain.

The main danger is not so much a violation of blood flow as the risk of a blood clot breaking off. If he blocks a vessel in the lung, heart or brain, death will be instantaneous.

As a treatment, the same drugs are used as for phlebitis, adding antispasmodic and painkillers to them. In exceptional cases, surgery may be recommended.

Diagnostics

In the event of the first signs of phlebitis, ectasia or cervical thrombosis, you should immediately contact a therapist who will write out directions for research:

thrombodynamics - determination of the rate of blood clotting. Usually blood is taken from the arm, but sometimes an internal jugular vein puncture may be required;
thromboelastography - a laboratory study that allows you to trace all the processes that occur during blood clotting;
prothrombin time tests - determining the amount of prothrombin protein and the rate of blood clotting;
Ultrasound, which determines the speed of blood flow, as well as features of the anatomy of the internal jugular vein;
magnetic resonance and computed tomography, which allows to determine the state of each layer of the vessel.

General forecasts

In the case of accurate diagnosis of the problem and timely treatment, the treatment prognosis is favorable. But in any case, it is necessary to start treatment as early as possible so as not to start the disease.

As preventive measures, you should completely stop smoking, normalize your diet and engage in moderate physical activity.

Conclusion

Thus, the internal jugular vein plays a large role in the blood flow of the organs located in the head. Developing pathologies can have serious consequences, even death, so you should not start treatment in any case.

As a rule, the treatment is quite simple and does not require surgical intervention.