Jugular Venous Hemodynamic Changes with Aging

Chung, Chih-Ping; Lin, Ya-Ju; Chao, A-Ching; Lin, Shing-Jong; Chen, Yen-Yu; Wang, Yuh-Jen; Hu, Han-Hwa

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2010.07.006

« Previous Next »Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 36, Issue 11 , Pages 1776-1782, November 2010

Jugular Venous Hemodynamic Changes with Aging

Chih-Ping Chung
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Ya-Ju Lin
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
A-Ching Chao
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Shing-Jong Lin
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Yen-Yu Chen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Yuh-Jen Wang
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Han-Hwa Hu
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Address correspondence to: Professor Han-Hwa Hu, Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201 Sec.2, Shihpai Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 11217.

Received 8 February 2010; received in revised form 29 June 2010; accepted 4 July 2010. published online 01 September 2010.

Abstract

Cerebral venous outflow insufficiency via the internal jugular vein (IJV) is associated with several neurological disorders. However, a normal reference set of IJV hemodynamic parameters derived from a large, healthy population over a wide range of age has, until now, been lacking. Color-coded duplex sonography was performed on the IJVs of 349 subjects (55.60 ± 17.49,16 to 89 y; 167 M/182 F). With increasing age, increased lumen area and decreased time-averaged mean velocity of bilateral IJV and a decreased proportion of total flow volume, drainage in the left IJV were found. The frequency of left jugular venous reflux (JVR) also increased with aging. We report IJV hemodynamic parameters across a large population, which could be used as a normal reference for clinical and research purposes. Furthermore, we found a decreased proportion of venous drainage, increased JVR prevalence, dilated lumen and slowed flow velocity in the left IJV, all of which suggest increased left IJV outflow impedance with aging. (E-mail: hhhu@vghtpe.gov.tw)

Key Words: Aging, Cerebral venous outflow insufficiency, Jugular venous reflux