Key result
Thrombosed internal jugular vein aneurysm mimics metastatic lymph nodes in post-thyroidectomy patients.
Why the study?
Jugular vein aneurysms are extremely rare, particularly when concurrent with papillary thyroid carcinoma and multi-site venous aneurysms, presenting a diagnostic challenge that mimics metastatic lymph nodes.
Highlights the importance of considering thrombosed internal jugular vein aneurysm in the differential diagnosis of neck masses mimicking lymph node metastasis after thyroidectomy.
Raises caution against assuming all cervical lymphadenopathy is metastatic; extends differential to include thrombosed venous aneurysms post-thyroidectomy.
Jugular vein aneurysms are extremely rare, and cases concurrent with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and multi-site venous aneurysms are even rarer. This report describes a 59-year-old female with left internal jugular vein aneurysm and left superficial femoral vein aneurysm complicated by thrombosis after total thyroidectomy for PTC. The thrombus within the internal jugular vein was similar to a metastatic lymph node; however, a correct diagnosis was ultimately reached under the physician's examination. We present this case to enhance junior physicians' skills in the differential diagnosis of neck masses and propose a preliminary hypothesis regarding the etiology of venous aneurysms.
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Cao et al. (2026) studied this question. A thrombosed internal jugular vein aneurysm can mimic metastatic lymph nodes in post-thyroidectomy papillary thyroid carcinoma patients, requiring careful differential diagnosis.
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