Ebru Mihriban Güven; Tuncay Çolak & Halil Elden

This study investigates the morphological-topographic anatomy of the Internal Jugular Vein (IJV) and its relationships with other vascular and neural structures in patients undergoing functional neck dissection. Thirty-two patients (27 males, 5 females; mean age: 63.03) were included. Preoperative computerized tomography (CT) imaging measured the transverse diameters of the IJV at the os hyoidea and cartilago cricoidea levels, along with morphometric measurements such as the IJV position relative to the Common Carotid Artery (CCA) and the distance between the IJV and CCA. The IJV length and number of branches entering the IJV were also recorded. During dissection, the IJV’s anatomical relationship with the Accessory Nerve (AN) was noted. Findings showed that 67.7 % of IJV positions were lateral to the CCA, while 25.5 % were anterior, and 6.8 % were posterior. The most common IJV branch type was the five-branch type (61 %). Right IJV diameters were larger than the left, with no significant differences observed between neck sides and sexes. A positive correlation was found between the upper and lower IJV diameters. The distance between the IJV and CCA varied, with some measured at 1 mm and others at 4 mm. The majority of AN positions were anterior (55.9 %). Our study, which included measurements obtained both via CT imaging and during neck dissection, objectively clarifies the relative positions of the IJV to the CCA, providing measurable guidelines for surgical practice. Significant anatomical variations between the IJV, CCA and AN still pose significant risks during neck dissection surgeries and jugular vein catheterizations.

KEY WORDS: Accessory Nerve; Carotid Arteries; Jugular Veins; Multislice Computed Tomography; Neck Dissection

GÜVEN, E. M.; ÇOLAK, T. & ELDEN, H. Investigation of the morphometry and topographic anatomy of the internal jugular vein in patients undergoing neck dissection. Int. J. Morphol., 43(3):753-758, 2025.