Jugular foramen


The jugular foramen is a large foramen in the base of the skull, located behind the carotid canal. It is formed in front by the petrous portion of the temporal bone, and behind by the occipital bone; it is generally larger on the right than on the left side.

Contents

Cranial nerves IX, X and XI and the inferior petrosal sinus and sigmoid sinus vein pass through the jugular foramen.
The jugular foramen may be subdivided into three compartments, each with their own contents.
An alternative imaging based subclassification exists, delineated by the jugular spine which is a bony ridge partially separating the jugular foramen into two parts:
Obstruction can result in jugular foramen syndrome.

Additional images