Thrombosis of the internal jugular vein resulting from migration of a sharp esophageal foreign body.

Abstract

Internal jugular vein (IJV) thrombosis is a rare, but potentially fatal condition. A 59-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital 3 weeks after ingesting a foreign body (FB). Twice endoscopic examinations at the referring hospital were negative. On arrival at our hospital, she was in pain, and the left side of her neck was swollen. A CT of the neck revealed the presence of a slender pointed radio-opaque FB in the left IJV together with a large thrombus containing a small central abscess. Surgical removal of the FB was performed together with ligation of the left IJV. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. Medical centers without proper diagnostic facilities should transfer such cases to better-equipped centers.