Structure - Located in the temporal bone - Posterior to the carotid canal and the cochlear aqueduct - Bony ridge divides carotid canal from jugular fossa - Small inferior tympanic canaliculus for glossopharyngeal nerve - Mastoid canaliculus for auricular branch of vagus nerve

Variation - Jugular fossa depth and size vary in different skulls

Function - Lodges the bulb of the internal jugular vein

Clinical significance - Abnormally shaped jugular fossae may cause ear problems - Close proximity to cochlea may cause tinnitus - High jugular fossa may be linked to Ménière's disease

Related topic - Fossa (anatomy)