The middle meningeal vein parallels the path of the middle meningeal artery.
The vein emerges from the maxillary vein via the pterygoid plexus, a collection of veins near the cheek. The maxillary vein joins with the superficial temporal vein to become the retromandibular vein. The retromandibular joins with the posterior auricular vein to create the external jugular vein. That vein drains into the subclavian vein.
Most epidural hematomas, a condition where blood that accumulates between the skull and the dura mater (protective tissue surrounding the brain), are usually caused by skull fractures that cross either the middle meningeal artery or the middle meningeal vein. Sixty percent of the time, these result from the artery being torn. Venous epidural hematomas are mostly a problem in children. These are less likely to be a result of head fractures.