title: Superior vena cava syndrome. Clinical management.
abstract: Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is an acute or subacute oncologic emergency with typical clinical features. The syndrome is almost invariably secondary to a malignant process. The treatment of choice is irradiation, but in resistant cases or in those instances in which radiation tolerance is achieved, either surgery or chemotherapy, or both, may play a crucial role. The major pitfalls in management relate to attempts to establish the site of obstruction and to obtain specific tissue diagnosis.
mesh_terms: D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010808:Physical Examination; D013577:Syndrome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior