J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2003 Oct;14(4):447-451.

Transection of the Internal Jugular Vein by a Neck Stab Injury : A case report

• Ko YG
• Lee BW
• Lee KS
• Baek KJ
• Kim JS
• Cho YU
• Hong KC
• Kim KR

Abstract

Injuries to the internal jugular vein rarely occur in Korea. However, neck veins are damaged more frequently than any other structure by neck stab injuries, and jugular venous injuries are caused almost exclusively by penetrating neck trauma. Vascular injury is the leading cause of death from trauma. Bleeding from injury to jugular veins is a main contributing factor of mortality as a result of penetrating neck trauma. When we meet a patient of neck stab injury, we must do a careful physical examination and some selective special diagnostic studies. Patients with penetrating neck injuries who are taken directly to the operating room are those with severe external hemorrhage and expanding hematoma and those who are hemodynamically unstable despite of resuscitation. A 22-year-old woman received a stab injury to the neck. On the neck CT scan, the patient was revealed to have a pseudoaneurysm caused by transection of the internal jugular vein. The patient recovered well from the injury as a result of a selective operation, an end-to-end anastomosis. We report that case of a penetrating neck injury resulting in transection of the internal jugular vein and give a review of other reported cases.

Keyword

Internal jugular vein; Transection; Pseudoaneurysm; End-to-end anastomosis

MeSH Terms

Aneurysm, False
Cause of Death
Female
Hematoma
Hemorrhage
Humans
Jugular Veins*
Korea
Mortality
Neck Injuries
Neck*
Operating Rooms
Physical Examination
Resuscitation
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Vascular System Injuries
Veins
Young Adult