Status of internal jugular veins in patients with carcinomas of the head and neck area.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the status of internal jugular veins (IJV) in patients with head and neck carcinomas.


METHODS
This study included 108 IJV of 54 cancer patients who were prospectively evaluated between September 1994 and February 1997. Patency, presence of thrombosis, characteristics of vein wall, compressibility, area of the veins both in rest and during Valsalva maneuver, expiratory flow speed, Valsalva flow speed, jugular flow in each side, and total jugular flow were registered in all cases. Also, 30 IJV of 15 normal volunteers were used as a control group. The study was performed in a tertiary care referral center.


RESULTS
Right expiratory flow speed was higher in volunteers (P = 0.0280), and left basal area was bigger in oncologic patients (P = 0.0394). No significant changes were found between cancer patients and controls in the remaining parameters (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
According to these results, head and neck carcinomas do not seem to affect the ultrasonographic characteristics of IJV. Thus, preoperative evaluation of IJV is not mandatory in these patients.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, La Paz Hospital, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. jidediegompprim@eresmas.net
M P
MP
Prim
J I
JI
De Diego
P
P
Moreno
R
R
Madero
J
J
Gavilan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography