Double external jugular vein and other rare venous variations of the head and neck

Shenoy V, Saraswathi P, Raghunath G, Karthik SJ
Correspondence: Dr Varsha Shenoy, varsha.shenoy@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT
Superficial veins of the head and neck are utilised for central venous cannulation, oral reconstruction and parenteral nutrition in debilitated patients. Clinical and sonological examinations of these veins may provide clues toward underlying cardiac pathology. Hence, although variations in these vessels are common, a sound knowledge of such variations becomes clinically important to surgeons, radiologists and interventional anaesthetists. We report a rare case of a left-sided double external jugular vein where the common facial vein continued as the second external jugular vein, and where there was a communicating channel between the internal jugular vein on the same side and the anterior jugular vein.

Keywords: anterior jugular vein, external jugular vein, internal jugular vein, variations
Singapore Med J 2012; 53(12): e251–e253