The authors report a rare familial case series of 3 patients with internal jugular vein stenosis (IJVS). These patients presented primarily with head noise, tinnitus, or sleep disorders, respectively. OBSERVATIONS: After other possible causes were excluded, novel surgical interventions were performed....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Clinicians evaluating refractory pulsatile tinnitus should consider internal jugular vein stenosis as a cause, including in family members of affected patients; however, this 3-case series is too preliminary to change screening protocols.
Familial internal jugular vein stenosis as a cause of refractory tinnitus is virtually unreported, raising the possibility of a heritable vascular contribution to pulsatile tinnitus that warrants further investigation.
- 01Three relatives presented with refractory head noise, tinnitus, and sleep disturbance linked to internal jugular vein stenosis.
- 02Familial clustering of IJV stenosis causing tinnitus is extremely rare and has not been well-characterized in the literature.
- 03The cases suggest a potential hereditary vascular etiology for a subset of refractory pulsatile tinnitus.
- 04Published as illustrative case lessons—exploratory, hypothesis-generating evidence only.
Internal jugular vein stenosis can present as a familial condition causing refractory head noise, tinnitus, and sleep disorders.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42766864
- DOI
- 10.3171/CASE25693.
- Journal
- Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 3
- Population
- Three family members presenting with refractory head noise, tinnitus, and sleep disorders attributed to internal jugular vein stenosis
- Intervention
- Diagnosis and characterization of internal jugular vein stenosis
Primary outcomes
Clinical presentation of refractory tinnitus and head noise; Familial pattern of internal jugular vein stenosis; Association with sleep disorders