Radiology of the jugular foramen

The jugular foramen, a complex bony canal, transmits vessels and nerves from the posterior cranial fossa through the skull base into the carotid space. It is inaccessible to clinical examination and radiology plays a central role in evaluating this region. Familiarity with the normal anatomy of this area will help in the formulation of differential diagnosis and the assessment of disease extent. Both intracranial and extracranial lesions may affect the jugular foramen in addition to intrinsic abnormalities. Normal variants and artefacts seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should not be mistaken for pathological processes.