My son is 7 years old with severe hemophilia, his veins were scarred due to his infusion. When a he needed a replacement of his mediport the surgeon put it in the jugular vein it had been for the past 5 years. That only lasted for 2 days with lasting results, he no longer has a jugular vein, and all his other veins throughtout his body are now pronounce. They have branched under his arms back neck area, moving to chin. Can this cause any kind of heart damage, without him having a jugular vein?

Dr. Joshua’s Answer

Thrombosis (clogging) of the jugular vein is a known complication of central i.v.’s. Unless infected, this does not usually cause major problems as there are other routes (called anastomoses) the blood can take when returning from the head. Jugular vein thrombosis can be life-threatening at worst, but often does not cause major symptoms and goes unnoticed. It’s not common to have other, superficial veins become more pronounced due to jugular vein thrombosis and you should discuss this phenomenon with his doctor. If there is any sign of infection, fever, pain etc., it should be promptly evaluated. Thrombosis of the subclavian vein (a large vein bringing blood from the arm, another typical site of a central i.v. port) may result in enlargening of the superficial veins around the chest and arm area. Swelling of the arm and pain may be present.

Please discuss your concerns with your son’s doctor. A physical examination and possibly venography is needed to evaluate the problem.