Superior vena cava syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

In order to study the clinical profile of children presenting with superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS), case records of all children presenting with SVCS over a 10-year period were retrospectively analyzed.

METHODS

Twenty one children (20 males and 1 female) with a median age of 10.0 years (range 5.0 to 12.0 years) were detected to have an underlying hematological malignancy. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia accounted for a major share (57%) in the underlying etiology; 33% of the subjects had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma).

RESULT: No Patient required radiotherapy or urgent thoracotomy. Among survivors (n=11), who were alive and well at the time of writing this report, the median follow-up was 6.5 years, (range 0.5-9.6 years). T-cell ALL and lymphoblastic lymphoma are common underlying causes of SVCS in Indian children.

CONCLUSION

The value of diagnostic interventions performed under local anaesthesia and prebiopsy corticosteroids usage was found to be reassuring since long-term survival without disease is achievable.