Case Report : A Fatal Case of Acute Superior Vena Cava Syndrome and Mediastinal Hematoma Following Insertion of the Internal Jugular Catheter for Hemodialysis

The superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome refers to all clinical phenomena appeared as bronchial pneumonia, lymphoma, mediastinitis, and aortic aneurysm compress the superior vena cava and the veins in the vicinity in the superior mediastinum. Iatrogenic superior vena cava syndrome due to vascular stenosis or aneurysmal change has occurred by the repeated placement of cardiac pacemaker. Cardiac tamponade and hematoma have been reported in patients with end-stage renal disease due to impairment of blood coagulation caused by uremia. But acutely developed SVC syndrome was not reported after catheterization. In this report, we describe a case of acute SVC syndrome and mediastinal hematoma after insertion of internal jugular catheter for hemodialysis.