An interesting and rare anomaly of external jugular vein: Case report

Abstract External jugular vein is being increasingly utilized for central venous access for parenteral nutrition, intravenous chemotherapy, diagnostic procedures, and anastomosis for free tissue transfer. Therefore, knowledge of its variation is important to clinician's associated with critical care, intervention radiology, and micro-vascular reconstruction. We report a very rare and interesting situation in which linguofacial venous trunk joined with external jugular vein forming a common trunk and drained into the anterior aspect of the internal jugular vein above the omohyoid muscle. The knowledge of such variation is also of importance to head and neck oncologists to avoid unnecessary bleeding during neck dissection.