Venous Hum

  • Often heard in children.
  • Etiology is thought to be compression of the internal jugular vein by the transverse process of the atlas.
  • The sound is continuous, loudest in diastole.
  • Best heard in the neck, in the anterior triangle, on the right side.
  • Louder when the patient is upright, inspires, or turns away from the stethoscope (to the left).
  • Quieter when lying down or by turning the head towards the stethoscope or with light pressure on the internal jugular vein.
  • It can also be heard in adults with high output states, and is of no clinical significance except that it can be mistaken for a PDA or AV fistula.
 

Patient 1:

This is a young healthy doctor who volunteered to have his venous hum recorded. Notice the “groaning” quality of the sound, heard here in diastole.

Venous Hum

Annotated

Patient 2:

This is a young and healthy team volunteer who has a venous hum.

Venous Hum

Annotated

Patient 3: