SUPERIOR VENA-CAVA TUMORAL THROMBOSIS REVEALING A BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA AND A LYMPHOBLASTIC NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

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.