Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
Definition
The superior vena cava is a large vein in the chest that drains the blood from the upper body back to the heart. Compression or occlusion (blocking off) of this vein creates superior vena cava syndrome.
Description
When the superior vena cava (SVC) becomes compressed or occluded, the blood from the upper body cannot drain back to the heart properly. This creates suffusion (the spreading of bodily fluids into surrounding tissue) which causes varying degrees of airway obstruction, swelling and cyanosis (purple discoloration due to lack of oxygenation) of the face, neck, arms and chest area. Patients with superior vena cava syndrome (SVC syndrome) might experience facial swelling causing the shirt collar to feel tight, shortness of...
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