jugulare

Jugulare is a Latin-origin term used in anatomy to denote structures relating to the jugular region of the neck and skull base. In English medical terminology, the root appears in phrases such as jugular vein, jugular foramen, and jugular bulb, with jugularis or jugulare serving as the descriptive form in Latin-based nomenclature.

In human anatomy, the jugular system broadly refers to the venous structures that drain the head and neck. The internal jugular vein is the principal pathway, collecting blood from the brain and deep facial structures via dural sinuses and facial veins, descending within the carotid sheath and joining the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein. The external jugular vein is a superficial vessel that drains into the subclavian vein. The two jugular systems are often discussed together when describing venous drainage and central venous pressure.

The jugular foramen is a key skull-base opening formed by parts of the temporal and occipital bones. It transmits the internal jugular vein and the inferior petrosal sinus, as well as cranial nerves IX (glossopharyngeal), X (vagus), and XI (accessory). The region around the jugular bulb—the superior dilation of the internal jugular vein as it exits the skull—can give rise to pathology, notably glomus jugulare tumors, which are paragangliomas that can affect nearby cranial nerves and cause pulsatile tinnitus and other symptoms.

In clinical practice, jugular venous pressure (JVP) assessment uses the neck’s jugular venous pulse to estimate right atrial pressure and overall central venous status. The term jugulare thus appears in various anatomical and clinical contexts to denote structures associated with the neck’s venous and skull-base regions.