A Case of Jugular Phlebectasia: Usefulness of Color Doppler Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis

We present a rare case of jugular phlebectasia, which was able to be diagnosed by a color Doppler sonography. A 69-year-old female patient complained of a painless neck mass on the left side and consulted our hospital. MRI showed a round and regular mass with a diameter of 2.5cm. B-mode ultrasonography showed a soft, tubular mass in addition to the common carotid artery. In addition, color Doppler sonography revealed a very slow (about 6cm/sec) turbulent flow in the mass. Valsalva maneuver immediately stopped the slow flow in the mass and increased the diameter. These findings were immediately resolved after the termination of the Valsalva maneuver. The patient was diagnosed as having jugular phlebectasia, and was conservatively followed up. The specific findings of ultrasonography and color Doppler sonography were very useful to diagnose, non-invasively, jugular phlebectasia, a very rare disorder.