Acute internal jugular vein thrombosis associated with pseudoabscess of the retropharyngeal space

We present four patients in whom evidence of edema or a pseudomass in the retropharyngeal space was found on CT scans obtained after thrombosis of the internal jugular vein. The clinical condition of one patient led to surgery, which documented the sterility of the retropharyngeal space despite the CT appearance of an inflammatory process. The CT findings, which are confusing initially, are found to be typical in retrospect.