Superior vena cava syndrome related to mediastinal lymphoma in late pregnancy: A case report

We report the initial diagnosis in a 28-year-old nulliparous woman of a primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma in late pregnancy. For several weeks the patient had had symptoms of mediastinal obstruction, such as dyspnea, cough, swelling of the face and upper limbs. However, these symptoms had been misattributed to the pregnancy and a common cold. Due to a rapid decline in the patient's cardiovascular performance, she was transferred to the closest perinatal center in the 34th week of pregnancy, whereupon a cesarean section was performed. The diagnosis of a primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma was made postpartum from a biopsy. This case emphasizes the importance of timely antenatal investigation in pregnant women with symptoms consistent with mediastinal obstruction. Thoracic ultrasonography can be a valuable tool for the detection of tumor-associated pleural and pericardial effusions. •The incidence of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is disproportionately high in women of reproductive age.•The diagnosis is made at a median age of 35 years.•Physiological changes during pregnancy can mask mediastinal malignancies since both conditions share similar clinical signs.•Symptoms of mediastinal obstruction during pregnancy should therefore lead to immediate diagnostic workup.•Thoracic ultrasound examination can aid in the diagnosis of lymphoma-associated pleural and pericardial effusions.