Superior vena cava syndrome as an initial presentation of low-grade follicular lymphoma.

Abstract

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome refers to a constellation of symptoms produced by the obstruction of blood flow through the SVC, resulting in symptoms of dyspnea, facial and upper-extremity edema, cough, chest pain, and dysphagia.1 Malignancies represent 60%-85% of the etiologies of SVC syndrome. Cumulatively, lymphoma and lung cancer represent 95% of malignancy-related SVC syndrome etiologies, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) reported in about 50% of cases, small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in about 25%, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in 10 % of all cases.