Cardiology Inspection

Dilated Veins On Chest

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome occurs when obstruction of the SVC results in impaired cardiac filling, giving rise to a constellation of characteristic symptoms and signs. Dyspnea is one of the most frequent symptoms; orthopnea occurs in around one-half of patients. Distended neck veins, distended superficial chest veins, and edema of the face, neck, and arms are among the most common signs.
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Patient 1

This is an older woman with an extensive smoking history complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who presented with progressive dyspnea and weight loss, and was found to have elevated jugular venous pressure, dilated chest wall veins, and Horner’s syndrome. Chest imaging revealed a left apical mass that was later determined to be non-small cell lung cancer.

This patient also has Horner’s syndrome.