Cerebral venous thrombosis originating from internal jugular vein outflow impairment

RATIONALE Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) comprises a group of cerebral vascular diseases resulting from cerebral venous outflow obstruction caused by various etiologies. The etiology of CVT is complex, including infectious and noninfectious factors. The diagnosis is difficult. As a result, many patients are misdiagnosed or never diagnosed. This patient was diagnosed with CVT due to unilateral internal jugular vein compression. PATIENT CONCERNS In this report, we present a case of acute onset CVT in a 15-year-old female patient who presented with a headache, nausea, and vomiting as the main clinical manifestations. INTERVENTIONS This patient was administered with conventional anticoagulants and treated for dehydration, but the effect of conventional therapy was not obvious. OUTCOMES We recommended that this patient undergo left local decompression of the internal jugular vein to inhibit the thrombosis. But regretfully, due to economic reasons and surgical risk, the patient and her mother refused operation. LESSONS This case report demonstrates the importance of considering jugular vein lesions as an etiology of CVT. Furthermore, computed tomography venography of the jugular vein and jugular vein ultrasound were instrumental in detecting the abnormal structure of the jugular vein and hemodynamic changes.