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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
06:29
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Primary mediastinal T-ALL presenting with superior vena cava syndrome
Alison Gibbons1, Emmanuel Tito2, Justin Baik2
1Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA agibbon7@jhmi.edu.
BMJ Case Reports
|February 17, 2025
Summary
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) can stem from rare causes like T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Prompt diagnosis and treatment of T-ALL are vital for managing SVCS, especially in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hematology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a critical condition, often linked to cancers like lung cancer and lymphoma.
- Less common causes of SVCS can complicate diagnosis, necessitating a broad differential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of SVCS caused by T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in a young adult.
- To emphasize the importance of considering T-ALL in the differential diagnosis of SVCS, particularly in atypical patient populations.
Main Methods:
- Clinical presentation analysis of a young adult female with SVCS symptoms.
- Diagnostic workup including imaging to identify a mediastinal mass.
- Histopathological confirmation of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) via biopsy.
Main Results:
- A young adult female presented with classic SVCS symptoms: facial edema, neck vein distention, and dyspnea.
- Imaging revealed a large mediastinal mass.
- Biopsy confirmed the mass as T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).
Conclusions:
- T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of SVCS, especially in younger individuals without typical risk factors.
- Early recognition and prompt treatment, including chemotherapy and potentially radiation, are crucial for favorable patient outcomes in SVCS secondary to T-ALL.
- A high index of suspicion for rare malignancies is essential, even with common clinical presentations like SVCS.
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