Superior vena cava syndrome: an increasingly frequent complication of cardiac procedures.
BACKGROUND
A 29-year-old woman presented with chest pressure, progressive dyspnea, fatigue, and swelling of her face, neck and upper extremities. Four days earlier, she had undergone a procedure for treatment of inappropriate sinus tachycardia, during which atrioventricular node ablation and implantation of a single-lead VVI pacemaker had been performed following an unsuccessful attempt at sinus node modification.


METHODS
Physical examination, contrast-enhanced CT of the chest, Doppler ultrasonography of the upper extremities, venography, coagulation studies, echocardiography.


METHODS
Superior vena cava syndrome due to thrombotic obstruction-a complication of a cardiac procedure.


RESULTS
Anticoagulation, catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy, mechanical thrombectomy, pericardiocentesis.
Chee
Cheng E
CE
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Bjarnason
Haraldur
H
Prasad
Abhiram
A
D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000379:methods; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013616:Tachycardia, Sinus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017131:Thrombectomy / Q000379:methods; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency