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)
The jugular fossa is a deep depression in the inferior part of the temporal bone at the base of the skull. It lodges the bulb of the internal jugular vein.
| Jugular fossa | |
|---|---|
 Base of the skull. Inferior surface. Jugular fossa labeled in purple near center. | |
 View of the inner wall of the tympanum. (Jugular fossa visible at bottom.) | |
| Details | |
| Part of | temporal bone of skull |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | fossa jugularis ossis temporalis |
| TA98 | A02.1.06.041 |
| TA2 | 678 |
| FMA | 56429 |
| Anatomical terms of bone | |
