VENA-CAVA-SUPERIOR-SYNDROME - REPORT OF 3 CASES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Superior vena cava syndrome (VCSS) develops because of a progressive r eduction of Venous return from the head, neck and the upper extremitie s. The presenting sign of this relatively rare condition is often a ra pidly developing, often massive facial edema. As a consequence,such th e patients are often seen initially by a dermatologist. Other clinical characteristics may include cyanotic facial erythema, dilatation of t he neck veins, and a prominent venous pattern n the anterior chest. To day, primary lung cancers and other mediastinal tumours represent the most common cause of VCSS, which may take a slowly progressive or a mo re fulminant course. In these cases,the disease develops rapidly and b ecomes life-threatening, requiring intensive medial diagnosis and care . We describe three patients with superior vena cava syndrome due to a ) bronchogenic carcinoma, b) bihilar sarcoidosis and c) metastasizing malignant melanoma. Since recognition of VCSS broadens the diagnostic spectrum of the dermatologist, an overview on its diagnostic and thera peutic implications is given based on our cases and the literature.