Superior Vena Cava Syndrome: A Case Report

We report a case of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) caused by squamous cell lung carcinoma in a 49-year-old man. He presented with severe edema of the face and upper half of the body with numerous dilated and tortuous cutaneous veins. Although we initially considered this case to be a drug eruption because the patient had repeated episodes of worsening clinical presentation whenever he took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), persistent and characteristic dermatologic findings led us to the diagnosis of SVCS. After balloon angioplasty of the left subclavian vein to the SVC, dermatologic findings markedly disappeared. Bronchoscopy and biopsy results revealed underlying squamous cell lung carcinoma.