Brachiocephalic vein aneurysm: a systematic review of the literature

Brachiocephalic vein (or innominate vein) aneurysms are extremely rare. To date, there have only been 36 cases reported in the literature. Brachiocephalic vein aneurysms are more common on the left than on the right side and are often saccular rather than fusiform (1-11). The majority of brachiocephalic vein aneurysms are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging, though some may present with mass effect on adjacent structures or rupture (2,10-17). As such, the basis of therapy is to prevent aneurysmal progression, thromboembolism or mass effect on adjacent structures, or rupture. While multiple treatment options are available, established guidelines regarding therapy for brachiocephalic vein aneurysms are lacking. The present systematic review aims to describe the etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, current management options and outcomes of brachiocephalic vein aneurysms