Bangladesh Journal of Anatomy July 2012, Vol. 10 No.

2 pp 45-49

Original Articles
Variations in the Structure of the Jugular Foramen
of Human Skull
SM Akram Hossain1, SM Moshadeq Hossain2, Fakhrul Amin Mohammad Hasanul Banna3

Abstract:
Context: The jugular foramen is one of the most fascinating foramen present at the base of the
skull attracting the imagination of many Anatomists worldwide as many important structures pass through
it, and amongst them the intriguing structure is the internal jugular vein. The shape and size of the
jugular foramen is related to the size of the internal jugular vein and the presence or absence of a
prominent superior bulb. As most of the textbooks of Anatomy describe that the right jugular foramen
is usually larger than the left jugular foramen. Henceforth the present study was undertaken in 55
skulls from the dept. of Anatomy. Measurements were taken with the help of sliding vernier caliper.
Study type: Cross-sectional descriptive type.
Place and period of study: Department of Anatomy, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi and Pabna
Medical College, Pabna from April 2010 to June 2011.
Materials and Methods: Total fifty five (55) human adult skulls were collected from the Anatomy department
of Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi and Pabna Medical College, Pabna at different times of the study
period. The study was conducted to observe variations in the structure of the jugular foramen of the
human’s skull.
Result: Out of 55 skulls (110 foramina) studied, the presence of dome indicating the presence of jugular
bulb was found bilaterally in 100% of cases. 58.18% of cases showed that the size of right foramina were
larger than the left foramina whereas 20% of cases showed that right foramina were equal to the left and in
21.82% of cases the left foramina were larger than the right side foramina. An important observation in the
present study was the presence of either complete or partial septation in the jugular foramen.
Conclusion: The findings of the study reveals that there are some differences among some parameters.
The variations are might be due to the geographical variations of the skeletons. It needs further study with
larger sample size from different geographical areas of Bangladesh.
Keywords: Jugular foramen, Skull, Septation.

Introduction: In Gray’s Anatomy it is stated that the lower posterior

Ancient textbooks and literature cites jugular borders of the jugular foramen are smooth and its
foramen in their own way that adheres well with upper border being sharp and notched; sometimes
the word jugular and the contents passing through the margins of the notch extend to divide the
the jugular foramen, often relating to the variability foramen into two or three compartments. Even in
of the size of the foramen marked with the the textbook of Quain’s elements of Anatomy, the
absence or the presence of septation or dome. jugular foramen is described as being divided into
three compartments by two marked constrictions;
1. Professor & Head of the Department of Anatomy, North the lateral transmits the internal jugular vein, the
Bengal Medical College, Sirajgonj middle transmits the glossopharyngeal, vagus &
2. Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi spinal accessory nerves; and the most anterior
3. Associate Professor of Anatomy, Enam Medical College,
Savar, Dhaka sometimes completely separated by a spicule
Correspondence: Prof. Dr. SM Akram Hossain of bone (the intrajugular process) transmits the
Bangladesh J. Anat. 2012; 10(2) : 45-49

inferior petrosal sinus. All the skulls were normal and devoid of any
malformations. The skulls were used for tutorial
In the Cunningham’s textbook of Anatomy, the
teaching for medical students. With the help of
jugular foramen is described as follows; the edge of
simple vernier caliper the antero-posterior dimension
the occipital bone forms a jugular notch and the
of jugular foramen were measured; and the skulls
petrous temporal is excavated to form a jugular
were observed for the presence of dome and
fossa, which accommodates the superior bulb of
septation in jugular foramen.
the jugular vein.
Results:
The jugular foramen may be partly or completely
On examination of the skulls, it became apparent
divided into three compartments by small spicules
that one extreme of normality consisted of a large
of bone; the anteromedial compartment transmits
foramen (> 10mm antero-posterior diameter) with
inferior petrosal sinus and meningeal branch of
no evidence of complete bony septation but the
ascending pharyngeal artery, the middle
presence of domed bony roof. The other extreme of
compartment contains ninth, tenth & eleventh
normal variation was complete septation of the
cranial nerves; whilst the large, posterolateral part of the foramen which transmitted internal
compartment transmits the sigmoid sinus on its jugular vein and whose antero-posterior diameter
way to become the jugular vein and meningeal was less than 6mm. Most foramina lay somewhere
branch of occipital artery. The jugular foramen was between the two extremes. A common variation was
also extensively studied by Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) the absence of a domed roof, with the bony channel
on 300 dried Anatolian skulls in seventeenth & which had been in contact with the internal
eighteenth centuries. jugular vein resembling a curved, inverted gutter.
Partial septation was observed in about 32.73%of
Materials & Methods: the total skulls examined in both right and left jugular
Fifty five (55) adult, human skulls were collected foramen whereas complete septation was observed
from the Department of Anatomy, Rajshahi Medical in around 76.36% on right side and 90.91% on left
College, Rajshahi, and Department of Anatomy, side. The jugular foramen was usually larger on the
Pabna Medical College, Pabna. right. A dome indicating the presence of a jugular
bulb, was present bilaterally in all of the skulls.

Table – I
Comparison of the findings of jugular foramen of present study with the findings of other researchers

Presence of Dome Septation of jugular foramen Size of foramina

Bilateral Right Left Absent Complete Partial R>L R<L R=L
side side Right Left Right Left
side side side side
Present study(2011) 55 00 00 00 42 50 13 5 32 12 11
No.
Percentage 100 00 00 00 76.36 90.91 23.64 9.09 58.1821.82 20
Patel M.M(2007) 19 35 13 23 21 16 45 54 55 14 22
No.
Percentage 21 38.5 14.3 25.3 23.1 17.6 49.5 59.3 60.4 15.4 24.2
Sturrock R.R(1988) No. 84 47 10 15 5 5 2 17 107 36 13
Percentage 53.9 30.1 6.4 9.6 3.2 3.2 1.3 10.9 68.6 23.1 8.3

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Discussion:
According to Patel (2007) the presence of gutter
even in those jugular foramen having had partial
dome further suggesting a hypothesis that the
size of gutter was inversely proportional to the
size of dome for accommodation of superior jugular
bulb of internal jugular vein.
Sturrock (1988) stated that the size and shape of
the jugular foramen is related to the size of the internal
jugular vein and the presence or absence of a
Fig.-1: The single arrows show the gutter prominent superior bulb.
formation, double arrows point the dome formation The difference in size of the two internal jugular
and triple arrows mark the complete septation of
veins, according to Sturrock (1988), is already visible
jugular foramen.
in the human embryo at 23mm stage.
Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) had studied 300 Anatolian
skulls from the 17 & 18 centuries and had found
that in 61.6% the foramen was larger on the right
side and in 26% it was larger on the left side.
Sturrock (1988) also had observed that from his
study of jugular foramen, 68.6% were large on right
side and 23.1% on left side and 8.3% of equal size.
The present study had observed 58.18% larger
jugular foramen on right side and 21.82% larger on
left side, whereas the right and left jugular
Fig.-2: On the both side the single arrow points to foramen were found to be of equal size in 20%
the gutter formation in the jugular foramen; triple
cases which is quite a large margin as compared
arrow indicates the incomplete septation; and double
arrow indicates the formation of dome. On the with Patel (2007), Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) and
right side the circle arrow points to the foramen Sturrock (1988).
for inferior petrosal sinus. The dome which is special feature of jugular foramen
was present in 38.5% on right side, in 14.3% on
left side and in 21% bilaterally, according to
Patel (2007). He found the dome to be absent
bilaterally in 25.3% of skulls.
Sturrock (1988) found that the dome of jugular
foramen was absent bilaterally in 9.6% of skulls.
The dome was present in 30.1% on right side, in
6.4% on left side and in 53.9% bilaterally.
Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) also presented with almost
similar readings as the presence of dome
Fig.-3: The above photograph shows the single bilaterally in 49% and on right side in 36% and on
arrow on the right side jugular foramen pointing to the left side in 6% only and they found the dome
the gutter formation; the triple arrow pointing to to be absent bilaterally in 10.3% of skulls.
the complete septation of the left and incomplete
septation of the right jugular foramen; and the Thus there is marked difference between the present
double arrow pointing to the dome formation. study and the studies by Patel (2007), Sturrock

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Bangladesh J. Anat. 2012; 10(2) : 45-49

(1988) and Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) with respect to with the size of dome to help in accommodating
the absence of dome bilaterally. Their studies had the superior jugular bulb of internal jugular vein.
found dome to be absent bilaterally in 25.3%,
The percentage of presence of complete and partial
9.6% and in 10.3% of skulls; whereas the
septations in the present study was large as
present study had observed bilateral presence of
compared to the studies by Patel (2007) Sturrock
dome in all of skulls.
(1988) and Hatiboglu & Anil (1991). The above
Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) in their discussion part factor could be related with the size of jugular
have described many phrases and segments as foramen; where the septations (complete) could
was described and put forth by Sturrock (1988). be present in smaller sized jugular foramina and
Moreover as Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) had stated considering the various samples of skulls being
in their discussion that their values of size of used by different authors from across the various
foramen and dome of foramen as described above parts of globe having wide geographical
are very close to that of the values by Sturrock differences; the above mentioned differences are
(1988). Another important observation regarding bound to occur.
septation of jugular foramen by Patel (2007) was
Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) observed the presence
complete septation in 23.1% on right side and 17.6%
of another foramen which is completely separated
on left side of skulls and partial septation in 49.5%
by a spicule of bone and which transmits the inferior
on right side and 59.3% on left side. Sturrock
petrosal sinus in 5.6% of skulls on right and in
(1988) found complete septation on both sides in
4.6% on left, while in the present study it was
3.2% of skulls and partial septation in 1.3% on
observed in 5 % only.
right side and 10.9% on left side.
Similarly Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) had observed Conclusion:
incomplete septation on right side in 2.6% of skulls, The present study had observed the variations
on left side in 19.6% and complete septation on of jugular foramen which were different from the
right side in 5.6% of skulls and on left side in 4.3% observations by Patel (2007), Sturrock (1988)
of skulls; which were quite similar with the readings and Hatiboglu & Anil (1991); because of the
by Sturrock (1988). following reasons :
In the present study it had been observed that partial -The skulls taken for study by Patel (2007), Sturrock
(incomplete) septation was in 23.64% of skulls on (1988), Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) and present study
right side and in 9.09% of skulls on left side, were from different geographical areas.
complete septation in 76.36% of skulls on right
side and in 90.91% of skulls on left side which - So it needs greater sample size from different
differed from other studies. geographical areas for details findings of the jugular
There was no difference between the observations foramen.
of Sturrock (1988) and Hatiboglu & Anil (1991), even Acknowledgements:
the explanatory segment of the discussion by
Department of Anatomy, Rajshahi Medical College,
Hatiboglu & Anil (1991) was same as that mentioned
Rajshahi, and Pabna Medical College, Pabna for
in the discussion by Sturrock (1988).
their cordial cooperation for collection of the
Sturrock (1988) described the presence of curved, specimens.
inverted gutter in those cases where there was
absence of domed roof at the site where bony References:
channel had been in contact with internal jugular
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vein. which was not observed by Hatiboglu & Anil
In: Standing S ed. Grays Anatomy, the
(1991).
Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 39th
Patel (2007) postulates a hypothesis that the edition, Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone 2008.
presence of size of gutter is inversely proportional 455-90.

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2. Patel M.M. & Singel T.C.: Variations in the G.J. Romanes, London, Oxford University
structure of the jugular foramen of the human Press; 1972; 112.
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2007; 56(2); 34-37.
Quain’s thelements of Anatomy; in bones of
3. Hatiboglu M.T. & Anil A. : Structural variations head; 11 edi; part-1; Longmans, Green & Co;
in the jugular foramen of the human skull; London; 1915, 4: 53 & 120.
Journal of Anatomy; 1992; 180: 191-196.
6. Sturrock R.R : Variations in the structure of
4. Romanes G.J.; Cunningham’s textbook of the jugular foramen of the human skull; Journal
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