Ultrasound Mapping of the Anatomical Relationship Between the Right Internal Jugular Vein and Carotid Artery

NCT07893080 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IJVCCA-2026-002
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This prospective observational study will describe the anatomical relationship between two major blood vessels on the right side of the neck: the internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery. These vessels lie close together, and their relative positions are relevant when placing a central venous catheter. The study will enroll 200 adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital who require right internal jugular vein catheterization as part of their routine care. A single ultrasound image will be recorded for each participant under standardized conditions after general anesthesia and before catheter placement. Computer-assisted image analysis will determine the angular position of the artery around the center of the vein on a 0°-360° scale. The study will describe the distribution of these angles and their frequencies within eight anatomical sectors. The findings may provide a more detailed quantitative description of neck vascular anatomy and support future research on ultrasound-guided central venous access. Participation will not alter routine anesthesia or catheterization management.

Conditions

Internal Jugular Vein Anatomy; Common Carotid Artery Anatomy; Cardiac Surgery

Keywords

Internal Jugular Vein; Common Carotid Artery; Ultrasonography; Angular Mapping; Vascular Anatomy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Angular Position of the Right Common Carotid Artery Center Relative to the Right Internal Jugular Vein Center

  The angular position of the right common carotid artery center relative to the right internal jugular vein center will be determined from standardized transverse ultrasound images. The internal jugular vein center will serve as the reference point, and the angular position will be calculated automatically using image-based coordinate analysis. Each participant will have one angular measurement expressed in degrees (0°-360°). The angular distribution across participants will be characterized using circular statistical methods.

  After anesthesia induction and before catheterization

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Distribution of the Right Common Carotid Artery Center Across Eight Anatomical Sectors

  After anesthesia induction and before catheterization

• Circular Descriptive Statistics of the Angular Distribution

  After anesthesia induction and before catheterization

• Deviation of the Angular Distribution From Circular Uniformity

  After anesthesia induction and before catheterization

• Exploratory Associations Between Patient Characteristics and Angular Distribution

  After anesthesia induction and before catheterization

Study Arms (1)

Adult Elective Cardiac Surgery Patients

Adults aged 18 years or older undergoing elective cardiac surgery who are scheduled for right internal jugular vein catheterization under general anesthesia as part of routine clinical care. Each participant will undergo a single standardized ultrasound image recording before catheter placement to determine the angular position of the right common carotid artery center relative to the right internal jugular vein center.

Other: Standardized Ultrasound Imaging and Computer-Assisted Angular Mapping

Interventions

Standardized Ultrasound Imaging and Computer-Assisted Angular Mapping OTHER

A single transverse ultrasound image of the right internal jugular vein and common carotid artery will be recorded at the cricoid cartilage level after induction of general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation, before routine central venous catheterization. Imaging will be performed in 15° Trendelenburg with approximately 30° leftward head rotation and a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cmH2O, using minimal transducer pressure. Vessel centers will be manually marked on de-identified images using custom software, which will automatically calculate the angular position of the artery center relative to the vein center on a 0°-360° scale. This is an observational imaging and analysis procedure; routine anesthesia and catheterization management will not be altered.

Adult Elective Cardiac Surgery Patients

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients aged 18 years or older scheduled for elective cardiac surgery at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital who require ultrasound-guided right internal jugular vein catheterization under general anesthesia as part of routine perioperative care. Eligible patients will be recruited consecutively after providing written informed consent. A single standardized transverse ultrasound image of the right internal jugular vein and common carotid artery will be recorded after induction of general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation, before catheterization, for computer-assisted angular mapping.

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 years or older.
• Scheduled for elective cardiac surgery.
• Planned to undergo general anesthesia.
• Scheduled for right internal jugular vein catheterization as part of routine clinical care.
• Willing to participate and provide written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Previous major surgery or marked anatomical deformity in the right neck region.
• Known right internal jugular vein thrombosis or occlusion, or a marked cervical vascular anomaly.
• Local pathology, a wound, or a dressing that prevents ultrasound assessment.
• Emergency surgery.
• Inability to safely achieve the standardized study position.
• Inability to reliably identify vessel boundaries on the ultrasound image or failure to meet the standardization criteria.
• Refusal to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ankara City Hospital Bilkent: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ankara Bilkent City Hospital

Ankara, Ankara, 06800, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Saitoh T, Satoh H, Kumazawa A, Nobuhara M, Machii M, Tanaka T, Shiraki K, Saotome M, Urushida T, Katoh H, Hayashi H. Ultrasound analysis of the relationship between right internal jugular vein and common carotid artery in the left head-rotation and head-flexion position. Heart Vessels. 2013 Sep;28(5):620-5. doi: 10.1007/s00380-012-0283-0. Epub 2012 Sep 12.

  PMID: 22968853 BACKGROUND

• Purohit G, Setlur R, Dhar M, Bhasin S. Assessment of head and neck position for optimal ultrasonographic visualisation of the internal jugular vein and its relation to the common carotid artery: A prospective observational study. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Jan-Mar;36(1):62-65. doi: 10.4103/joacp.JOACP_330_18. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

  PMID: 32174660 BACKGROUND

• Miki I, Murata S, Nakazawa K, Onozawa S, Mine T, Ueda T, Yamaguchi H, Yasui D, Takeda M, Kumita S. Anatomical relationship between the common carotid artery and the internal jugular vein during head rotation. Ultrasound. 2014 May;22(2):99-103. doi: 10.1177/1742271X14524571. Epub 2014 Feb 25.

  PMID: 27433202 BACKGROUND

• Maecken T, Marcon C, Bomas S, Zenz M, Grau T. Relationship of the internal jugular vein to the common carotid artery: implications for ultrasound-guided vascular access. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2011 May;28(5):351-5. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0b013e328341a492.

  PMID: 21150630 BACKGROUND

• Landler L, Ruxton GD, Malkemper EP. Circular data in biology: advice for effectively implementing statistical procedures. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 2018;72(8):128. doi: 10.1007/s00265-018-2538-y. Epub 2018 Jul 11.

  PMID: 30100666 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Zeliha Aslı Demir

  Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Fatıma Beyza Artıran

CONTACT

05073622219; beyzaartiran@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Resident Physician, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 19, 2026
• First Posted: October 23, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): October 27, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)