What is superior vena cava syndrome?
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a group of problems caused when blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC) is slowed down. The SVC is a large vein that drains blood away from the head, neck, arms, and upper chest and into the heart. SVCS is most often seen in people who have cancer.
What is the most common symptom of patients with superior vena cava syndrome?
The most common presenting symptoms of SVC syndrome are face/neck swelling, distended neck veins, cough, dyspnea, orthopnea, upper extremity swelling, distended chest vein collaterals, and conjunctival suffusion.
What is the most common metastatic disease the causes superior vena cava syndrome?
Superior vena cava syndrome most often occurs as a complication of another medical issue, such a tumor or a swollen lymph node obstructing the flow of blood through the vein. Common causes of superior vena cava syndrome include: non-Hodgkin lymphoma. lung cancer.
How is superior vena cava syndrome diagnosed?
The most common physical findings are facial, neck, and arm swelling and dilated veins in the chest. CT with IV contrast is used to confirm the diagnosis of SVCS; MRI is helpful in cases in which IV contrast is contraindicated. SVCS is commonly considered an oncological emergency, but most SVCS cases are not.
What is the treatment for superior vena cava syndrome?
The principal options for endovascular therapy today are stenting, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), thrombolysis, or some combination thereof. In most patients with SVCS, stenting of the SVC provides rapid symptomatic relief within few days (see the images below).
How Long Can You Live With SVC syndrome?
The average life expectancy for patients who present with malignancy-related SVC syndrome is 6 months, although the prognosis is quite variable depending on the type of malignancy. SVC obstruction in patients with NSCLC portends a particularly poor prognosis.
What causes SVC syndrome?
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) happens when the superior vena cava is partially blocked or compressed. Cancer is usually the main cause of SVCS.
How long can you live with superior vena cava syndrome?
Results. There were no significant differences in efficacy and side effects among the four groups (all P > 0.05). Group 4 (median survival time of 36 months) could provide longer survival time than groups 1, 2, and 3 (median survival time of 10 months, 13.5 months, and 12 months, respectively).
How do you treat SVC syndrome?
Recommended treatments for cancer-related SVC syndrome include chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the tumour that is causing the obstruction. However, the use of intravenous stents is becoming increasingly common (1).
How common is superior vena cava syndrome?
Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome occurs in approximately 15,000 people in the United States each year (1). The syndrome was originally described as being secondary to an infection, such as tuberculosis, or a syphilitic aortic aneurysm (2–4).
Is SVC syndrome an emergency?
The superior vena cava (SVC) is a large blood vessel that sends blood from the upper body and head to the heart. SVC syndrome happens when blood flow through the superior vena cava is blocked. SVC syndrome is an oncologic emergency, which is a serious health problem caused by the cancer itself or its treatment.
Continuing Education Activity Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is a collection of clinical signs and symptoms resulting from either partial or complete obstruction of blood flow through the SVC. This obstruction is most commonly a result of thrombus formation or tumor infiltration of the vessel wall.
What are the signs and symptoms of vena cava syndrome (VC)?
Shortness of breath is the most common symptom, followed by face or arm swelling. Following are frequent symptoms: Superior vena cava syndrome usually presents more gradually with an increase in symptoms over time as malignancies increase in size or invasiveness.
What causes an obstruction of the superior vena cava?
This obstruction is most commonly a result of thrombus formation or tumor infiltration of the vessel wall. The superior vena cava is formed by the junction of the left and right innominate (brachiocephalic) veins and is tasked with returning blood from the head, neck, upper extremities, and torso back to the heart.
What is the most common cause of vena cava cancer?
Over 80% of cases are caused by malignant tumors compressing the superior vena cava. Lung cancer, usually small cell carcinoma, comprises 75–80% of these cases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, comprises 10–15%.