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CC BY 4.0 · European J Pediatr Surg Rep. 2023; 11(01): e40-e43
DOI: 10.1055/a-2130-3269
Case Report

Congenital Internal Jugular Phlebectasia: An Anomaly Still Poorly Recognized

Alessandro Raffaele 
1   Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
,
Marta Gazzaneo 
1   Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
,
Piero Romano
1   Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
,
Maria Sole Prevedoni Gorone
2   Pediatric Radiology Unit, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
,
Luigi Avolio 
1   Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
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Abstract

Congenital internal jugular phlebectasia (CIJP) is a rare condition characterized by congenital dilatation of the vein without tortuosity that becomes more evident during straining as a lateral neck mass. CIJP often remains undiagnosed from a few months to several years after the onset of the swelling. It is frequently asymptomatic although symptomatic cases have been occasionally reported. We present the case of a healthy 7-year-old boy with a lateral neck mass, triggered by the Valsalva maneuver. Neck ultrasound (US) showed right internal jugular axial ectasia, increasing during the Valsalva maneuver; contrast computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed a fusiform dilatation of the right internal jugular vein. Due to the lack of symptoms, we treated our patient conservatively. At 5 years of follow-up, the patient is still asymptomatic, with no evidence of complications or thrombosis. Due to its self-limiting nature, treatment for asymptomatic cases of CIJP should be conservative, providing a follow-up with both clinical and US annual evaluations.

Keywords

jugular vein - phlebectasia - neck mass


Publication History

Received: 03 June 2022

Accepted: 10 June 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
17 July 2023

Article published online:
31 August 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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