Concomitant fenestration and phlebectasia of the right internal jugular vein: a unique finding in anatomical dissection.
The internal jugular vein (IJV) is an important vascular structure for oncologists and radiologists and is also a frequently used central venous route. The varia-tions in the pattern of its course, and knowledge of its variations, are important. During the anatomical dissection of a 70-year-old male cadaver, fenestration involving a short segment (2.5 cm) of the right IJV in the superior part of the carotid triangle and a large dilatation (phlebectasia) of the IJV, involving its nonfenestrated segment were found - a case that has not previously been reported. The aetiology and clinical implications of the concurrent anomalies are described. Clinicians and surgeons performing neck vascular or reconstru-ctive surgery should be made aware of both IJV variations in order to prevent inadvertent injury and avoid invasive investigations and inappropriate treatment.
Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia. erika.cvetko@mf.uni-lj.si.
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D000368:Aged; D004210:Dissection; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery
anatomical variation; dilatation; fenestration; internal jugular vein; phlebectasia