Jugular vein Jugular vein The jugular veins are veins that take deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava. There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal. The left and right external jugular veins drain into the subclavian veins. The internal jugular veins join with the subclavian veins more medially to form the brachiocephalic veins. Finally, the left and right brachiocephalic veins join to form the superior vena cava, which delivers deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart. The internal jugular vein is formed by the anastomosis of blood from the sigmoid
Emissary veins Emissary veins The emissary veins connect the extracranial venous system with the intracranial venous sinuses. They connect the veins outside the cranium to the venous sinuses inside the cranium. They drain from the scalp, through the skull, into the larger meningeal veins and dural venous sinuses. Emissary veins have an important role in selective cooling of the head. They also serve as routes where infections are carried into the cranial cavity from the extracranial veins to the intracranial veins. There are several types of emissary veins including posterior condyloid, mastoid, occipital and parietal emissary vein. There are also emissary veins