jugular foramen syndrome jugular foramen syndrome jugular foramen syndrome, or vernet's syndrome, is characterized by paresis of the glossopharyngeal, vagal, and accessory (with or without the hypoglossal) nerves. jugular foramen syndromehuman brain(normal) inferior view showing cranial nerves symptoms symptoms of this syndrome are consequences of this paresis. as such, an affected patient may show: dysphonia/hoarseness soft palate dropping deviation of the uvula towards the normal side dysphagia loss of sensory function from the posterior 1/3 of the tongue (cn ix) decrease in the parotid gland secretion (cn ix) loss of gag reflex sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles paresis (cn xi) causes glomus tumors (most frequently) meningiomas schwannomas (acoustic neuroma) metastatic tumors located at the cerebellopontine angle trauma fracture of occipital bone infections cholesteatoma (very rare) obstruction of the jugular foramen due to bone diseases nasopharyngeal carcinoma spreading into the parapharyngeal space involving the ninth, tenth, and eleventh cranial nerves diagnosis gadolinium enhanced mri for vestibular schwannoma mri and biopsy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on nerve palsies ncct for occipital bone fracture