Jugular foramen

The jugular foramen is an irregular opening located within the posterior cranial fossa of the cranial cavity. It can be found on both sides, a little to the front and to the side of the foramen magnum. The front borders of the jugular foramen are created by the petrous part of the temporal bone, while the back borders are formed by the occipital bone.

Right above the jugular foramen, you can observe the internal acoustic meatus within the petrous temporal bone. The foramen is positioned at the lower end of the groove in which the sigmoid sinus lies. The sinus carries venous blood from the intracranial cavity and transforms into the internal jugular vein. Just below and medial to the jugular foramen, you can locate the hypoglossal canal, which itself lies on the lateral side of the foramen magnum, bilaterally.

The jugular foramen acts as a pathway for various structures, including the inferior petrosal sinus, three cranial nerves (the glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves), the sigmoid sinus, which becomes the internal jugular vein, and some meningeal branches originating from the occipital artery and ascending pharyngeal artery.