title: Superior vena cava syndrome: an increasingly frequent complication of cardiac procedures.
abstract: 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.
authors: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors: Cheng E
authors: CE
authors: Chee
authors: Haraldur
authors: H
authors: Bjarnason
authors: Abhiram
authors: A
authors: Prasad
mesh_terms: 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