Superior vena caval obstruction: an analysis of seventy-six cases, with comments on the safety of venography.

Seventy-six cases of superior vena caval obstruction (SVCO) were documented in the period 1970-1980. There were 53 males and 23 females, with a mean age of 61.7 years. The underlying causes were:- Lung cancer, 64/76, 84.2%; Metastatic disease, 4/76, 5.3%; Lymphoma, 4/76, 5.3%; Benign aetiology, 2/76, 2.6%; Undiagnosed, 2/76, 2.6%; 97.4% of the cases were due to malignancy. Of 61 patients on whom follow-up is available, only one is alive. Eighty-two percent of this group died within one year following the onset of SVCO. Autopsies were performed on 17 patients. Nine of these (52.9%) showed invasion of the superior vena cava, 6 (35.3%) showed compression without invasion, and 2 (11.8%) showed neither compression nor invasion following Radiotherapy. Venography was performed on all patients with only one minor complication being recorded.