Malignant Superior Vena Cava Obstruction

Overview

Superior vena cava syndrome is a distressing manifestation of a benign or malignant disease that obstructs theblood flow in the superior vena cava. Radiation and chemotherapy are often used to treat malignant forms of thedisease. However, this therapy brings slow and sometimes incomplete regression of symptoms. Percutaneousadministration of the metallic intravascular stents appears to be effective therapy. It offers immediate resolution andlong-term relief of symptoms. Paper describes two patients with superior vena cava syndrome of a malignant aetiologywhere the incomplete but hemodynamicaly significant stenosis was successfully treated by percutaneous stenting.

Key words:
superior vena cava, stenosis, stent.