Anatomical terminology
Skeletal system
Joints
Muscles
Heart
Blood vessels
- Blood vessels of systemic circulation
  - Aorta
  - Blood vessels of head and neck
    - Arteries of head and neck
    - Veins of head and neck
      - Veins of head
      - Veins of neck
        External jugular vein
        Anterior jugular vein
        Internal jugular vein
        Superior thyroid vein
        Middle thyroid vein
        Inferior thyroid vein
        Thyroid vein of Kocher
        Vertebral vein
        Deep cervical vein
        Pharyngeal veins
        Subclavian vein
  - Blood vessels of upper limb
  - Blood vessels of thorax
  - Blood vessels of abdomen
  - Blood vessels of pelvis and lower limb
Lymphatic system
Nervous system
Respiratory system
Digestive system
Urinary system
Female reproductive system
Male reproductive system
Endocrine glands
Eye
Ear

Choose article

External jugular vein

The external jugular vein (Latin: vena jugularis externa) is a superficial vein of the neck that is formed by the union of the retromandibular vein and the posterior auricular vein. It collects blood from the scalp, face, neck, and the superficial muscles of the back.

The external jugular vein originates from the angle of the mandible, descends to the clavicle and the root of the neck, penetrating the deep cervical fascia and draining into the subclavian vein. The main tributaries of the external jugular vein are:

Anterior jugular vein
Posterior external jugular vein
Transverse cervical vein
Suprascapular vein

Head and neck veins, External jugular vein, Tributaries of external jugular vein, Relation to sternocleidomastoid, Lateral view — External jugular vein and its tributaries (with sternocleidomastoid) by Anatomy.app

Head and neck veins, External jugular vein, Tributaries of external jugular vein, Lateral view — External jugular vein and its tributaries by Anatomy.app