Endoscopic treatment with wrapping by a vascular prosthesis for internal jugular vein phlebectasia

SummaryThe management of jugular vein phlebectasia through a transverse cervical incision provides good direct exposure. However, patients having such a procedure will have a scar in the neck, which may be cosmetically unsatisfactory. The authors describe in this communication a transaxillary subfascial endoscopic treatment of internal jugular vein phlebectasia with wrapping by a vascular prosthesis in a 6-year-old boy. The wrapping prevented the vein from dilating, and at the same time preserved its function. The transaxillary endoscopic technique, with a working cavern created under the fascia of the pectoralis major, offered a safe and straightforward way of surgical management of jugular vein phlebectasia, while exempting injury to noninvolved tissues and avoiding the potential for poor cosmesis from any neck scar.