[Our experience in the treatment of superior vena cava syndrome]

In clinical practice SVC syndrome is an important problem, given both the nature of the disease and its fast lethal evolution. Therapy must be instituted as soon as possible because the chances of a positive result are directly related to the staging of the primary illness. Surgery, chemotherapy and high energy therapy can be used. From the literature, although controversial, the superiority of surgical therapy is clear; particularly if up-to-date vascular reconstruction techniques are employed. From March 1980 to March 1988 8 cases of SVC syndrome were observed in which the aetiology was as follows: Hodgkin's disease (2 cases); secondary catheter thrombosis (1 cases); lung carcinoma (5 cases). The 2 cases of Hodgkin's disease were treated by chemotherapy; the secondary thrombosis by open thrombectomy. In the other 5 cases an innominate vein right appendage by-pass was used (3 PTFE, 2 pericardial grafts). The results were encouraging: complete, long-term remission was observed in the Hodgkin and thrombectomy patients. A PTFE graft thrombosis occurred in 2 cases but in the other cases the by-pass is functioning well at a mean 13 months follow-up.