Burhan Ahmad Khan, Rizwan Aziz Qazi, Qasim Mahmood.
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome in relation to etiology in different age groups.
J Pak Inst Med Sci Jan ;14(2):771-8.

This study was conducted to determine the etiology of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome (SVCS) presenting to a tertiary care hospital and study its relationship with age., All patients diagnosed as having SVCS were investigated to determine the underlying pathology. Malignancies were the leading cause (78%) of SVC obstruction - predominantly lung cancer (46%) and lymphomas (24%) - but benign causes constituted a significant 22%. Furthermore, a substantial percentage (45%) of these benign causes were iatrogenic - mainly due to subclavian hemodialysis catheters. Other causes were mesothelioma (2%), thymoma (4%), thyroid cancer (2%), goitre (6%), and tuberculosis (6%). It was concluded that although, malignancies remain the commonest aetiology, benign causes also comprise a significant number of cases. Furthermore, intravenous iatrogenic foreign bodies as a cause of thrombus constitute a new chapter. Subclavian haemodialysis catheters were the most significant aetiological factor, thus emphasising that subclavian vascular access should be kept to a minimum by planning and creating an early permanent vascular access.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com