Resumen

FERREIRA-ARQUEZ, Humberto. Anatomical variations in the venous drainage of the neck. CES Med. [online]. 2016, vol.30, n.2, pp.238-243. ISSN 0120-8705.

Abstract The superficial veins, especially the external jugular vein are increasingly used for cannulation or diagnostic procedures, intravenous therapy, parenteral nutrition in debilitated patients. Variations in the venous drainage of the head and neck are important not only for anatomists and radiologists but also for surgeons. During routine dissection in the Laboratory of Morphology, University of Pamplona in a 75 year-old male cadaver in the region face and neck anatomical variations and unusual drainage patterns were found, which were dissected carefully and morphological details were photographed; these variations consisted of unilateral absence of external jugular vein. The lingual vein, the infrahyoid vein and the superior thyroid vein had transverse venous connections that drained into a venous arch located between the common carotid artery and the superior thyroid artery. This draining venous arch upward in the common facial vein and down into the internal jugular vein. Knowledge of the anatomical and morphological variations in the veins of the head and neck is essential to carry out successful surgical procedures in these regions.

Palabras clave : Anatomical variation; External Jugular vein; Retromandibular vein; Transverse venous connections; Venous arch; Cervical venous drainage.

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