ABSTRACT
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS), which is characterized by facial edema and congestion of the head, upper extremities, and neck, is a life-threatening oncologic emergency. Although a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been considered as the standard treatment for SVCS, stent implantation to the superior vena cava (SVC) has been recently developed to alleviate edema or dyspnea caused by SVCS. On the other hand, stent implantation to the SVC requires skilled interventional cardiologists or radiologists. In general, those specialists reside in university hospitals or large hospitals in an urban area. In this case report, an 86-year-old man underwent stent implantation to a stenosed SVC in a rural area. Because the patient refused the transfer to the core, urban hospital, we invited a skilled interventional cardiologist from the core hospital and performed stent implantation to the SVC in a small, rural hospital. It is generally difficult to perform stent implantation for SVCS in a small hospital, because skilled operators in the field of interventional cardiology or radiology do not usually perform operations in smaller facilities. Our case indicates the importance of cooperation between rural generalists and urban specialists.
ABSTRACT
Introdução: Queixas gastrointestinais em pacientes oncológicos podem representar um dilema diagnóstico com taxas significativas de morbidade e mortalidade. O abdome agudo secundário à neoplasia é geralmente multifatorial. Causas relacionadas à neoplasia podem ser diretas (efeito mecânico do tumor, sangramento tumoral, progressão de doença) ou indiretas (manifestações sistêmicas como imunossupressão e hipercoagulabilidade). Devido às diversas possíveis causas subjacentes, a avaliação clínica se torna complicada dado o quadro clínico por vezes atípico e a apresentação eventualmente tardia, visto que a imunossupressão pode atenuar muitos achados. O exame de imagem, em especial a tomografia computadorizada, desempenha um papel fundamental na identificação da causa subjacente, no mapeamento da extensão da doença e na triagem de candidatos cirúrgicos. Métodos: Realizou-se busca nas bases de dado PubMed, Scielo e Embase, procurando os termos "Oncologic Acute Abdomen" e "Oncological Acute Abdomen", sendo selecionados os artigos mais relevantes e focados na prática clínica, de forma a resumir as principais etiologias, diagnóstico e manejo. Resultados: A causa mais recorrente de abdome agudo oncológico é, de forma ampla, intestinal, abarcando diagnósticos de obstrução, perfuração e causas inflamatórias. Conclusão: A cirurgia para emergências abdominais em pacientes com câncer avançado carrega um alto risco operatório e requer discussão multidisciplinar de indicações, com total respeito pelas regras éticas. O objetivo da cirurgia é melhorar os sintomas e focar tanto na qualidade de vida quanto na duração da sobrevida. Muitas alternativas existem e suas vantagens e limitações devem ser pesadas antes de recorrer a um procedimento cirúrgico.
Introduction: Gastrointestinal complaints in cancer patients may represent a diagnostic dilemma with significant morbidity and mortality rates. The acute abdomen secondary to neoplasia is usually multifactorial. Causes related to neoplasia can be direct (mechanical tumor effect, tumor bleeding, disease progression) or indirect (systemic manifestations such as immunosuppression and hypercoagulability). Due to the many possible underlying causes, clinical evaluation becomes complicated given the sometimes-atypical clinical picture and the eventually late presentation, since immunosuppression may attenuate many findings. Imaging, especially computed tomography, plays a key role in identifying the underlying cause, mapping the extent of disease, and screening surgical candidates. Methods: We searched the databases PubMed, Scielo and Embase, searching for the terms "Oncologic Acute Abdomen" and "Oncological Acute Abdomen", being selected the most relevant articles and focused on clinical practice, in order to summarize the main etiologies, diagnosis, and management. Results: The most frequent cause of acute oncologic abdomen is the intestinal cause, encompassing diagnoses of obstruction, perforation and inflammatory causes. Conclusion: Surgery for abdominal emergencies in patients with advanced cancer carries a high surgical risk and requires a multidisciplinary discussion of indications, with full respect for ethical rules. The goal of surgery is to improve the symptoms and focus on both quality of life and duration of survival. Many alternatives exist and their advantages and limitations must be weighed before resorting to a surgical procedure.