title: [Effectiveness of endovascular prostheses as initial treatment for superior vena cava syndrome of malignant cause].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is caused by venous return obstruction often originated by an invading mediastinal tumour. Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of stents as initial treatment for SVCS of malignant origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  From December 1996 to August 2010, 120 patients with SVCS were referred for percutaneous treatment. Seventy-six were under oncological follow-up cases and in 44 cases the tumour was unknown. A non-concurrent prospective study was made of 113 patients without prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy, who opted for endovascular treatment as first option.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and two men and 11 women were treated, mean age 61.18 years old (range 45-85). SVCS causes included lung cancer (100), lung metastases (6), compression by enlarged lymph nodes (6), and an embryonic tumour. One hundred and fifty-five prostheses were implanted. One stent was enough in 75 patients, 2 stents in 34, and 3 in 4. Technical success rate was 98.2%. Symptoms disappeared completely in 97 patients and partially in 13. Complications were stent migration (5), epistaxis (1), and post-procedure groin hematoma (1). Seventy-three asymptomatic patients had a mean survival of 210 days (75% primary permeability and 52.9% secondary permeability).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of stents in malignant SVCS is a safe and effective procedure for venous obstruction, leading to the immediate disappearance of symptoms, allowing the underlying tumour staging, facilitating the establishment of the best treatment and improving life quality.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, España. talens_ama@gva.es
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talens
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Cruz
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Ferrer
authors.forename: Vega
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iranzo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camps
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057510:Endovascular Procedures; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000150:complications; D010166:Palliative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome