The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve.
It begins in the posterior compartment of the jugular foramen, at the base of the skull. It is somewhat dilated at its origin, which is called the superior bulb.
The jugular veins (Latin: Venae iugulares) are veins that take blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava. The internal jugular vein descends next to the internal carotid artery and continues posteriorly to the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
A lymph duct (or lymphatic duct) is a great lymphatic vessel that empties lymph into one of the subclavian veins. There are two lymph ducts in the human body—the right lymphatic duct and the thoracic duct. The right lymphatic duct drains lymph from the right upper limb, right side of thorax and right halves of head and neck. The thoracic duct drains lymph into the circulatory system at the left brachiocephalic vein between the left subclavian and left internal jugular veins.
The dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses, cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous sinuses (channels) found between the periosteal and meningeal layers of dura mater in the brain. They receive blood from the cerebral veins, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the subarachnoid space via arachnoid granulations. They mainly empty into the internal jugular vein.Cranial venous sinuses communicate with veins outside the skull through emissary veins. These communications help to keep the pressure of blood in the sinuses constant.
The major dural venous sinuses included the superior sagittal sinus, inferior sagittal sinus, transverse sinus, straight sinus, sigmoid sinus and cavernous sinus. These sinuses play a crucial role in cerebral venous drainage. A dural venous sinus, in human anatomy, is any of the channels of a branching complex sinus network that lies between layers of the dura mater, the outermost covering of the brain, and functions to collect oxygen-depleted blood. Unlike veins, these sinuses possess no muscular coat.