Superior vena cava syndrome secondary to thyroid cancer.

It is uncommon for thyroid cancer to present with superior vena cava syndrome. Obstruction of superior vena cava can develop as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic spread of the thyroid cancer. The usual presentation of this disease entity is a neck mass with symptoms and signs suggestive of superior vena cava obstruction. Superior vena cava obstruction is commonly caused by lung cancer and lymphoma. However, thyroid cancer can cause superior vena cava obstruction by downward tumour spread into the mediastinum causing extrinsic compression, which will lead to narrowing and thrombosis of the major venous system in the chest. Paraganglioma can also present with superior vena cava obstruction and it mimics thyroid cancer microscopically. Proper staining should be performed to differentiate between the two diseases. This could be the first case of this kind reported in the literature.

Correction of anomalous systemic venous drainage: transposition of left SVC to left PA.

In some patients, a persistent left superior vena cava drains into the left atrium (rather than the right) and may produce a symptomatic right-to-left shunt. We describe an extracardiac approach for correcting anomalous systemic venous drainage when the innominate vein is absent. In this technique, the left superior vena cava is transposed to the left pulmonary artery.

Subintimal hematoma of the aorta after deceleration injury.

Deceleration injuries of the aorta may occur without aortic disruption. We describe the case of a patient with a subintimal hematoma of the aorta that resolved within 48 hours. Serial arteriography confirmed the diagnosis and excluded aortic rupture. Thoracic exploration was not performed.