[Jugular vein thrombosis as incidental ultrasound finding in tumor patients]

At present thrombosis of the internal jugular vein is an uncommon event that is now more frequently associated with diagnostic or therapeutic catheterization. If an apparent spontaneous thrombosis occurs, malignancy should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Two cases of clinically asymptomatic thrombosis of the internal jugular vein are presented. A 69-year-old female patient with metastasizing renal cell carcinoma had bilateral thrombosis and a 73-year-old male with a small laryngeal carcinoma had a unilateral thrombosis. Increased blood coagulability as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome was considered to be the possible etiology. The role of sonography in the diagnosis is emphasized.