Internal Jugular Vein Tumor Thrombus: A Tricky Question for the Thyroid Surgeon

Curr Oncol. 2022 Nov 26;29(12):9235-9241. doi: 10.3390/curroncol29120723.

Abstract

Internal jugular vein tumor thrombus is an extremely rare condition in thyroid carcinoma, but it does exist. Correlated with greater aggressiveness with a higher incidence of distant metastases at diagnosis and a higher recurrence rate, this important prognostic element should be systematically investigated by ultrasound operators in all patients presenting with thyroid carcinoma. The patient's follow-up must be careful. This can be a trap that surgeons must look for in their preoperative checklist. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with an IJV thrombus associated with multiple bone metastases. She underwent successful surgical treatment, and postoperative pathology showed a poorly differentiated follicular carcinoma of the thyroid and a tumor thrombus in the internal jugular vein.

Keywords: internal jugular vein; thyroid cancer; ultrasound scan; venous thrombosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Jugular Veins / diagnostic imaging
  • Jugular Veins / pathology
  • Jugular Veins / surgery
  • Middle Aged
  • Surgeons*
  • Thrombosis*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / diagnosis

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.