Association of subclavian and jugular vein thrombosis: color doppler sonographic evaluation.

In case of clinical symptoms of subclavian vein thrombosis a phlebographic or color Doppler sonographic investigation should be performed. Phlebography is a sensitive method to exclude the thrombosis in the subclavian vein but not in the jugular vein. Color Doppler sonography additionally gives information about the surrounding tissue and the jugular vein. The authors analyze their color Doppler sonographic data, first, to evaluate the association of internal jugular and subclavian vein thrombosis and, second, to demonstrate the necessity for a color Doppler investigation. Of 213 patients who suffered from a thrombosis, 93 had a subclavian vein thrombosis, 64 had a combined thrombosis in the internal jugular and subclavian vein, and 56 had an isolated internal jugular vein thrombosis. There is a high association between subclavian and internal jugular vein thrombosis, and a color Doppler investigation of both the subclavian and internal jugular veins is necessary.