The anterior jugular vein is a

vein Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and feta ...

in the

neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...

Structure

The anterior jugular vein lies lateral to the cricothyroid membrane. It begins near the

hyoid bone The hyoid-bone (lingual-bone or tongue-bone) () is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid-cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical verte ...

by the confluence of several superficial veins from the submandibular region. Its tributaries are some laryngeal veins, and occasionally a small thyroid vein. It descends between the median line and the anterior border of the

sternocleidomastoid muscle The sternocleidomastoid muscle is one of the largest and most superficial cervical muscles. The primary actions of the muscle are rotation of the head to the opposite side and Anatomical terms of motion#Flexion and extension, flexion of the neck. ...

, and, at the lower part of the neck, passes beneath that muscle to open into the termination of the external jugular vein, or, in some instances, into the

subclavian vein The subclavian vein is a paired large vein, one on either side of the body, that is responsible for draining blood from the upper extremities, allowing this blood to return to the heart. The left subclavian vein plays a key role in the absorption ...

. Just above the sternum the two anterior jugular veins communicate by a transverse trunk, the venous jugular arch, which receive tributaries from the inferior thyroid veins; each also communicates with the internal jugular. There are no valves in this vein. The pretracheal lymph nodes follow the anterior jugular vein on each side of the midline.

Variation

The anterior jugular vein varies considerably in size, bearing usually an inverse proportion to the external jugular. Most frequently, there are two anterior jugulars, a right and left. However, there is sometimes only one. A duplicate anterior jugular vein may be present on one side, which may cross over the midline.

Clinical significance

Ultrasound

The anterior jugular vein, if present, is easily identified using

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...

of the

Tracheotomy

The anterior jugular vein may be damaged during

tracheotomy Tracheotomy (, ), or tracheostomy, is a surgical airway management procedure which consists of making an incision on the front of the neck to open a direct airway to the trachea. The resulting stoma (hole) can serve independently as an airway ...

, causing significant

bleeding Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethr ...

. The significant variation in vein course, such as duplicate veins, creates this risk. Performing a midline incision helps to avoid the anterior jugular vein.

Additional images

Image:Gray384.png, Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra. Image:Venenwinkel.png, Veins of the neck and chest

References

{{Authority control Veins of the head and neck