Duplication of the Right Internal Jugular Vein: A Case Report

Abstract

We present a case of duplication of the right internal jugular vein (IJV) in a patient who underwent neck dissection as part of the management of carcinoma of the larynx. The patient was a 63-year-old man who presented to the otolaryngology department with a 7-month history of hoarseness and a 3-week history of noisy breathing. Flexible endoscopy detected a transglottic tumor that had extended beyond the vocal folds. The patient underwent a total laryngectomy and bilateral selective neck dissection at levels II–VI. Intraoperatively, the right IJV was noted to be duplicated. The duplicate segment was approximately 10 cm in length, and it rejoined the normal vein before the normal vein joined the subclavian vein.