ene 
‘7 .' ‘ 
Whilst on the surface of the sterno-mastoid muscle it is covered by the super- 
ficial fascia and platysma muscle, and it les parallel with, and slightly in front of, 
the great auricular nerve; after crossing the tramsverse cervical nerve it reaches 
the posterior border of the sterno-mastoid, where it receives a tributary called the 
posterior external jugular vein, which commences in the superficial tissues of the 
upper and back part of the neck, and runs downwards and forwards across the roof 
of the upper part of the posterior cervical triangle to its termination in the external 
jugular vein. 
As the external jugular vein pierces the deep cervical fascia in the subclavian 
EXTERNAL JUGULAR VEIN. 83: 
Supra-orbital vein 
: i : Angular vein 
Superficial temporal vein—j 
Lateral nasal vein 
Occipital vein 
Internal maxillary veins ‘ a F 
Superior coronary vein 
Temporo-maxillary vein 
: , oes: Inferior coronary vein 
Posterior auricular vein 
Facial vein 
Anterior division of. 
temporo-maxillary vein 
Inferior labial vein 
Anastomosis between 
common facial and 
anterior jugular veins 
Posterior external 
jugular vein 
Anterior jugular vein 
~— External jugular vein 
Transverse cervical,vein 
Fic. 580.—SUPERFICIAL VEINS OF THE HEAD AND NECK. 
triangle, its wall is closely attached to the margin of the opening through which 
it passes, and as it is crossing in front of the third part of the subclavian artery it 
is jomed by the suprascapular, transverse cervical, and anterior jugular veins. 
There are usually two valves in the lower part of the vein—one, which 1s 
generally incompetent, at its termination, and a second at a higher level; this is 
frequently competent. 
Tributaries.—In addition to the posterior auricular vein and the posterior division 
of the temporo-maxillary vein by which it is formed, the external jugular vein receives 
the posterior external jugular yein, which has already been described, the transverse 
cervical and suprascapular veins from the region of the shoulder, and the anterior 
jugular vein. Occasionally the cephalic vein also opens into it. 
53 
= 
