External jugular venous aneurysm—a case report

Aneurysms of the external jugular vein (EJV) are uncommon vascular malformations. Due to their rarity, it is currently unclear what the risk of complications are and whether surgical management should be offered. The risks associated with the surgery need to be balanced with the risk of complications from the malformation. We present the case of a young woman who presented with a painful erythematous neck swelling who was found to have an aneurysm of the EJV with thrombophlebitis. This was successfully treated with surgical excision. We discuss current evidence for treatment of neck vein aneurysms and pitfalls.