Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
The superior vena cava syndrome is a disease that is characterized by an impaired blood flow through the superior vena cava going to the heart’s right atrium. The superior vena cava is a large vein, which is responsible in transmitting blood to the heart from the torso and the rest of the upper body. This vein can be found right in the middle of the chest. It is bounded by firm structures as well as lymph nodes. The structures the surrounds it include the aorta, trachea, pulmonary artery, the thymus, and the lung’s right bronchus.
The Symptoms of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
Patients who developed this disease tend to have swollen face, arms, and neck. The veins located in the neck are dilated and it can become very noticeable. Coughing is also very common among patients and they tend to experience shortness of breath even without doing any extraneous physical activity. Their voices also become noticeably hoarse because of it.
And aside from these, patients also experience undue fatigue and chronic chest pains. Headaches and dizziness are occurs more frequently than normal. And their face, arms, and neck are not only the ones that would become swollen. Eventually, their eyes will also bulge out due to swelling.
The Causes of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
A disease that directly affects the superior vena cava and the lymph nodes that surrounds it can cause the disease. Instances such as circulatory leakages in the lymph drainage and the veins are the most common culprits. Also, superior vena cava syndrome can either be considered as cancerous or benign.
If the syndrome is said to be cancerous, the usual causes of it are lymphoma, lung cancer, metastasis, breast cancer, and testicular cancer. If it is a rather benign condition, the disease could be caused by tuberculosis, syphilis, pericarditis, tumors, pneumothorax, sarcoidosis, and other internal infections. But most of the time fungi cause them.
The Diagnosis of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
To diagnose this disease, doctors would request a series of x-rays, mostly to the chest. This is done so as to produce an image of the heart, more particularly of the area where the superior vena cava is located. But to achieve a more accurate diagnosis, doctors would perform a CT scan or an MRI instead. These two advanced diagnostic tools can correctly define the root cause of the disease.
And depending on the doctor’s expertise, he may also request for an ultrasound, or an echocardiogram of the heart so that the nature and the exact site of obstruction is detected. These are all important so that the proper treatment of the disease can be carried out.
The Treatment of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
Fortunately enough, doctors have several treatment options to cure the disease. But as always, treatment is dependent on the nature of the obstruction and the severity of the disease. Doctors may also consider the physical ability of the patient as well as his personal needs and requirements.
Aggressive treatments may be conducted immediately. And among the methods used are radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These two are just slightly different from each other. There are some tumors that are sensitive to chemotherapy. But for the others that are not, radiation therapy is more effective.
Thrombolysis and stent placement are two other methods that doctors can use to treat the disease. Thrombolysis is the process of breaking down blood clots that could be main cause of the disease. And this can be carried out in two ways. It can be done through the use of thrombolytic drugs or through a more invasive procedure. Stent placement, on the other hand, is the process of inserting a small metal tube or a scaffold so that the blood vessels are held open. This reduces the instances of high blood pressure as well as cardiac arrest in some patients.
Surgery is another option. This is more preferable to patients who have benign obstructions rather than those with malignant obstructions. But then again, due to the advancement of medicine and science, several doctors have mastered the use of a surgical bypass operation to patients who have malignant obstructions.
