Internal Jugular Vein Cross-Sectional Area Enlargement Is Associated with Aging in Healthy Individuals

BACKGROUND: Internal jugular vein (IJV) narrowing has been implicated in central nervous system pathologies, however normal physiological age- and gender-related IJV variance in healthy individuals (HIs) has not been adequately assessed. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the relationship between IJV cross-sectional area (CSA) and aging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved 193 HIs (63 males and 130 females) who received 2-dimensional magnetic resonance venography at 3T. The minimum CSA of the IJVs at cervical levels C2/C3, C4, C5/C6, and C7/T1 was obtained using a semi-automated contouring-thresholding technique. Subjects were grouped by decade. Pearson and partial correlation (controlled for cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, heart disease, smoking and body mass index) and analysis of variance analyses were used, with paired t-tests comparing side differences. RESULTS: Mean right IJV CSA ranges were: in males, 41.6 mm(2) (C2/C3) to 82.0 mm(2) (C7/T1); in females, 38.0 mm(2) (C2/C3) to 62.3 mm(2) (C7/T1), while the equivalent left side ranges were: in males, 28.0 mm(2) (C2/C3) to 52.2 mm(2) (C7/T1); in females, 27.2 mm(2) (C2/C3) to 47.8 mm(2) (C7/T1). The CSA of the right IJVs was significantly larger (p<0.001) than the left at all cervical levels. Controlling for cardiovascular risk factors, the correlation between age and IJV CSA was more robust in males than in the females for all cervical levels. CONCLUSIONS: In HIs age, gender, hand side and cervical location all affect IJV CSA. These findings suggest that any definition of IJV stenosis needs to account for these factors.