jugular foramen

Introduction

A passage between the petrous portion of the temporal bone & the jugular process of the occipital bone.

It contains:

• internal jugular vein
• inferior petrosal sinus
• meningeal branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery & occipital artery
• cranial nerve 9, cranial nerve 10, & cranial nerve 11 exiting from the brainstem

More general terms

• foramen

Additional terms

• glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
• internal jugular vein
• spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
• vagus nerve (CN X)