Ag. Juimo et al., SUPERIOR VENA-CAVA TUMORAL THROMBOSIS REVEALING A BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA AND A LYMPHOBLASTIC NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA, Angiology, 48(3), 1997, pp. 263-268
Superior vena cava thrombosis (SVCT) is a rare pathology, though of gr
eat significance since it implies the development of a malignant proce
ss. The most common etiologies are basically bronchopulmonary and medi
astinal tumors. Observations involving 2 patients presenting with supe
rior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) are reported in this study, in which ra
diologic investigations (chest roentgenogram, computed tomography scan
of the thorax, and superior vena cavography) revealed thrombosis of t
he SVC disclosing in both cases a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The first ca
se was a mediastinal Burkitt's lymphoma in a thirty-eight-year-old man
(exceptional form) and in the second case a lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin
's lymphoma in a nine-year-old girl. In the patient with Burkitt's lym
phoma healing was satisfactory twenty-four months after treatment by s
urgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The second patient died sudden
ly. In both cases the SVCT revealed the tumor. The causes of SVCT are
review ed and discussed.