Intracranial and internal jugular vein thrombosis secondary to ENT infections: a report of 3 cases.

We report 3 cases of rare, life-threatening intracranial and internal jugular vein (IJV) thrombosis that were caused by common ENT infections. These infections included otitis media in a 6-year-old girl, tonsillitis in a 21-year-old woman, and odontogenic sepsis in a 56-year-old woman. All 3 patients were treated with culture-directed systemic antibiotics; 2 of them also required surgical drainage (the child and the older adult). The 2 adults also received therapeutic anticoagulation, which was continued until venous recanalization was documented; the duration of combined antibiotic and anticoagulation treatment was 6 weeks. All 3 patients made uneventful recoveries. Significant morbidities associated with intracranial and IJV thrombosis were avoided as a result of prompt diagnosis and judicious treatment.