SVC obstruction

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

SVC obstruction

Alternative Names:

Superior vena cava obstruction; Superior vena cava syndrome

Symptoms:

Neck swelling, facial swelling, or arm swelling
Swelling around the eye socket (periorbital)
Sensation of head or ear "fullness"
Reddish face or cheeks
Reddish palms
Reddish mucous membranes (inside the nose, mouth, and so on)
Redness changing to blueness later
Headache
Dizziness
Vision changes
Fainting
Decreased alertness

Note: Symptoms may begin suddenly or gradually, and may worsen when bending over or lying down.

Signs and tests:

An examination may show enlarged veins of the face, neck, and upper chest. Blood pressure is often high in the arms and low in the legs.

A bronchoscopy may be performed if lung cancer is suspected.

Obstruction of the SVC may show on:

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

Review Date: 5/3/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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