A Case of Collet-Sicard Syndrome Resulting from Jugular Vein Thrombosis

ABSTRACT

Collet-Sicard syndrome is one of the syndromes of the multiple lower cranial nerve palsies, characterized by unilateral paralysis of 9th through 12th cranial nerves. The present report describes a 34-year-old woman who had hoarseness, dysarthria, and loss of taste developed after febrile illness. Brain MRI, both T1WI and T2WI, showed high signal intensity in the left jugular foramen. Gd-GTPA contrast injection revealed thickening and enhancement of the left tentorium. Angiography disclosed nonvisualization of the left transverse and sigmoid sinus, and reconstruction of the left internal and external jugular vein by collaterals from the angular, facial, and posterior fossa veins. The patient improved spontaneously two months later. This is the first report of Collet-Sicard syndrome resulting from jugular vein thrombosis.