• Shervin R Dashti, Peter Nakaji, Yin C Hu, Don F Frei, Adib A Abla, Tom Yao, and David Fiorella.
• Norton Neuroscience Center, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
• Neurosurgery. 2012 Mar 1;70(3):E795-9.

Background And ImportanceIntracranial venous hypertension is known to be associated with venous outflow obstruction. We discuss the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical venous outflow obstruction causing pseudotumor cerebri.Clinical PresentationWe report 2 patients presenting with central venous outflow obstruction secondary to osseous compression of the internal jugular veins at the craniocervical junction. The point of jugular compression was between the lateral tubercle of C1 and a prominent, posteriorly located styloid process. In both cases, catheter venography showed high-grade jugular stenosis at the level of C1 with an associated pressure gradient. The dominant jugular vein was decompressed after the styloid process was resected. Postoperative imaging confirmed resolution of the jugular stenosis and normalization of preoperative pressure gradients. In both cases, the symptoms of intracranial hypertension resolved.ConclusionIntracranial venous hypertension may result from extrinsic osseous compression of the jugular veins at the skull base. Although rare, this phenomenon is important to recognize because primary stenting not only is ineffective but also may actually exacerbate the outflow obstruction. The osseous impingement of the dominant jugular vein can be relieved via a decompressive styloidectomy, and the clinical results can be excellent.

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