[Superior vena cava syndrome associated with carcinoma of the uterine cervix--report of two cases]

Abstract

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a very rare complication in patients with a gynecologic malignancy. Only 4 cases have been reported in the English literature thus far and, to our knowledge, no such case has been reported in the Japanese literature. We have encountered two cases of SVCS in patients with cervical cancer. In case 1, the SVCS developed secondarily to a metastasis of the cervical cancer to the lungs and mediastinum. In case 2, the cause of the SVCS had been presumed to be due to metastatic cervical cancer, however on autopsy, it turned out to be due to a coexistent malignant lymphoma.