ENDOVENOUS STENTING IN MALIGNANT SUPERIOR VENA-CAVAL OBSTRUCTION

Twenty-three patients with SVC syndrom were evaluated with CT and veno graphy. The superior vena cava or its tributaries were either stenosed or thrombosed. The etiology was malignant in all cases non small cell carcinoma (16 cases), mediastinal nodal metastasis (3 cases), lymphom as (2 cases), pleural mesothelioma (1 case), small cell carcinoma (1 c ase). The length of the stenosis ranged from 20 to 70 mm. The stents w ere placed via a femoral, jugular or brachial approach. Stenting was a chieved in 22/23 patients (96%). Clinical symptoms subsided in 20/22 p atients (87%). Mean follow-up was 15 weeks. Stents remained patent in 17/20 patients (78%). Stenting is a safe and effective treatment of SV C syndrom in patients with malignant conditions.