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jugular vein

 

n.
Any of several large veins of the neck that drain blood from the head.


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n.

Any of the three jugular veins: anterior, external, and internal.

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Jugular vein

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Vein: Jugular vein
Gray558.png
The veins of the neck, viewed from in front.
Gray's subject #168 646
Drains to superior vena cava
MeSH Jugular+Veins

The jugular veins are veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava.

Contents

Internal and external

There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal.

The left and right external jugular veins drain into the subclavian veins. The internal jugular veins join with the subclavian veins more medially to form the brachiocephalic veins. Finally, the left and right brachiocephalic veins join to form the superior vena cava, which delivers deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart.[1]

There is also another minor jugular vein, the anterior jugular vein, draining the submaxillary region.

Pressure

The jugular venous pressure (JVP) is an indirectly observed pressure over the venous system. It can be useful in the differentiation of different forms of heart and lung disease.

Three upward deflections and two downward deflections have been described. The upward deflections correspond with (1) atrial contraction, (2) ventricular contraction (and resulting bulging of tricuspid into the right atrium during isovolumic systole), and (3) atrial venous filling. The downward deflections correspond with (1) the atrium relaxing (and the tricuspid valve moving downward) and (2) the filling of ventricle after the tricuspid opens.

See also

References




 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Jugular vein Read more

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