Duplication of the internal jugular vein: an anatomical variant

Background The internal jugular vein (IJV) is the largest vein in the neck. Along its course, the IJV may present anomalies that alter architecture and anatomical relationships of the region. In this report, we describe an anatomical variant of the IJV : duplication. Case Report The patient was a 71-year-old woman with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (T4N0M0), for which total laryngectomy with bilateral cervical lymph node dissection was indicated. During cervical dissection, the left IJV was observed to subdivide at the level of the posterior belly of the digastric muscle into two branches: one anteromedial and the other posterolateral. These two branches anastomosed at the superior thoracic aperture, inferior to the intermediate tendon of the left omohyoid muscle. This anatomical variation corresponded to a type 3 duplication. Conclusion Duplication of the internal jugular vein is an anatomical variation. It makes cervical dissection more difficult and increases the risk of injury to various anatomical structures during surgical procedures.