Authors: Vineeta Gupta Srikanth R Ambati P Pant Baldev Bhatia
Publish Date: 2008/05/01
Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 28-30
Abstract
Superior vena cava syndrome SVCS is rare in childhood 18 cases of SVCS were seen in children ranging from 3–14 years with a mean age of 88 years There were 15 males and 3 female children Diagnosis could be confirmed in 17 cases as one child succumbed to severe respiratory distress without a definitive diagnosis The commonest cause of SVCS was lymphoma NonHodgkin’s lymphoma NHL was more common than Hodgkin’s disease In two cases the final diagnosis was tuberculosis of mediastinal lymph nodes The diagnosis was confirmed by cervical lymph node biopsy in 6 cases mediastinal biopsy in 6 cases and bone marrow aspiration in the remaining 5 cases Intravenous Dexamethasone provided relief of symptoms in 13 patients None of the children received emergency radiotherapy Antitubercular treatment produced complete cure in the two patients with tubercular mediastinal lymphadenopathy
Keywords: