The venous drainage of the major salivary glands is provided by the external jugular vein (Read more!) and internal jugular vein (Read more!).

Parotid gland

Overall, the parotid gland (Read more!) is drained by the retromandibular vein, which is formed by the confluence of the maxillary vein and superficial temporal vein (Read more!). At the inferior pole (apex) of the parotid gland, this vein usually divides into two divisions or branches - anterior and posterior.

The anterior division merges with the facial vein (Read more!), forming the common facial vein that drains into the internal jugular vein. In contrast, the posterior branch unites with the posterior auricular vein, forming the external jugular vein. Therefore, venous blood from the parotid gland is carried to both - the internal and external jugular veins.

Submandibular gland

The submandibular gland (Read more!) is drained by the facial vein and sublingual vein that further flow into the internal jugular vein and lingual vein (Read more!), respectively. The lingual vein further carries blood to the internal jugular vein.

Sublingual gland

And finally, venous drainage of the sublingual gland (Read more!) is provided by the sublingual vein and submental vein (Read more!) that carry blood to the lingual vein and facial vein, respectively. Both veins drain into the internal jugular vein.

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Venous drainage of salivary glands