An anatomical exploration of the relationship between the internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery in a selected South African population: an adult and fetal cadaveric study.

Background

The anatomical relationship between the internal jugular vein (IJV) and common carotid artery (CCA) is critical for safe central venous cannulation and catheterization. Misinterpretation of their relative positions can result in serious complications, including arterial puncture, hematoma, or stroke. This study examined the positional relationship of the IJV to the CCA and the external diameter of the IJV at the proximal, middle, and distal segments in adult and fetal cadavers.

Materials And Methods

The study included 34 adult and 6 fetal cadavers of varying ages and sexes. Fetal age was estimated from foot length. Anterior neck dissections were performed to measure IJV diameters at three defined points and document the positional relationship to the CCA.

Results

In adults, 58.8% of cadavers were female and 41.2% were male (age range, 52-98 years), while the mean estimated gestational age of the fetal specimens was 22.17 ± 1.17 weeks. Right and left IJVs were equally represented in the adult measurements. The positional relationship of the IJV to the CCA varied, with lateral positioning being the most common in both adults (58.33% overall) and fetuses (50.0% overall), followed by posterolateral and other configurations. The IJV diameters were slightly larger on the right than on the left in both groups, although the differences were not statistically significant. Adult IJVs were significantly wider than fetal IJVs at all segments, with diameters increasing progressively from proximal to distal portions.

Conclusions

This study characterized the anatomical relationship between the IJV and CCA, including segmental IJV diameter. Understanding these variations may help minimize iatrogenic complications during procedures in this region.