# Internal jugular phlebectasia: case report and literature review

## TL;DR

This paper reports a case of internal jugular phlebectasia, a rare vein dilation in children, and reviews its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

## Contribution

The paper adds a new case report and provides a literature review on internal jugular phlebectasia in pediatric patients.

## Key findings

- Internal jugular phlebectasia is more common in male pediatric patients.
- The condition is typically asymptomatic but can cause cervical pain.
- Conservative management is standard, with surgery only for symptomatic cases.

## Abstract

Internal jugular phlebectasia is a non-tortuous abnormal dilation of the internal jugular vein that presents as a cervical mass with a saccular or fusiform aneurysmal appearance and is most common in male pediatric patients. Its etiologies include congenital, cervical trauma, tumors, and previous surgeries. The clinical picture is generally asymptomatic. In symptomatic cases, the most common complaint is pain in the affected cervical area. Diagnosis is established by visualization of the dilation when triggered by increased intrathoracic pressure during actions such as coughing or crying and is confirmed by imaging studies such as Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography. Therapeutic management is typically conservative, with surgical intervention reserved for cases with symptoms or complications.

A flebectasia jugular interna é a dilatação anormal não tortuosa da veia jugular interna que forma uma massa cervical de caráter aneurismático sacular ou fusiforme, mais incidente em pacientes pediátricos do sexo masculino. As etiologias englobam trauma cervical, neoplasias ou cirurgias prévias. O quadro clínico geralmente é assintomático. Nos casos sintomáticos, a queixa mais frequente é dor na área cervical afetada. O diagnóstico é dado pela visualização da dilatação desencadeada pelo aumento da pressão intratorácica em ações como tossir ou chorar, sendo complementado por exames de imagem como a ultrassonografia com Doppler e a tomografia computadorizada. A conduta terapêutica é conservadora, sendo cirúrgica apenas na presença de queixas ou complicações.