Surgical repair of left internal jugular phlebectasia

Abstract

Jugular vein phlebectasia, a fusiform dilatation of a vein without tortuosity, is a rare cause of cervical neck swelling in children. It commonly presents as a soft cystic mass in the neck that transiently appears during straining. Because of its rarity, jugular vein phlebectasia cases have frequently been misdiagnosed or have been managed inappropriately. This report describes the case of a left-sided internal jugular phlebectasia in a 4-year-old child that was surgically treated with a resection and an end-to-end repair. © 2008 The Society for Vascular Surgery.