Cerebrospinal venous obstruction and breast cancer: A pilot study.

Methods: The venous drainage of the breasts is described and the cerebrospinal venous systems (CSVS) of six patients with treated breast cancer were assessed using duplex ultrasound to measure venous blood volume flows in the neck veins.

Results: All six patients with breast cancer showed evidence of cerebrospinal venous obstruction (CSVO). Further, all six demonstrated collateral flow in the erect position in the internal jugular vein on the same side as the diagnosed breast cancer.

Conclusion: There is an indication for a well-designed case-control study using the duplex ultrasound neck vein examination, comparing patients treated for breast cancer with healthy women.