Cardiac tamponade with superior venacaval obstruction. A case report

A case of a pericardial tamponade with progressive superior venacaval obstruction indicating the presence of a neoplasm is presented. The patient developed an acute life-threatening pericardial tamponade for which she underwent thoracotomy. When the tamponade was released, she developed sudden acute superior venacaval obstruction which necessitated the insertion of a Dacron graft between the right innominate vein and the right atrium. The anaesthetic management and the physiology of the haemodynamics are discussed.