[Superior vena cava syndrome associated with bilateral angle closure glaucoma].

Superior vena cava syndrome is a set of symptoms resulting from partial or complete blockage of the superior vena cava. In the majority of cases, it develops secondary to lung tumors and lymphoma. It is characterized by edema of the head, neck, and upper limbs, large veins, and dyspnoea. Ophthalmological changes related to the syndrome rarely occur: eyelid swelling, conjunctival chemosis and suffusion have been described previously, and in one case, elevated episcleral pressure was also reported. Our 57-year-old female patient's superior vena cava syndrome was resolved with stent placement, and her small cell lung tumor was treated with chemotherapy. As part of the syndrome, he complained of bilateral blurred vision with a history of 4 months. During his examination, we found a bilateral closed angle, an intraocular pressure of 60 mmHg on both sides, and severe visual impairment. We performed a lens exchange combined with better semolysis, which achieved a significant reduction in intraocular pressure and managed to preserve the remaining visual acuity. After Nd:YAG laser iridotomy on the left eye, we started antiglaucoma drop treatment to reduce pain. After phacoemulsification, the morphology of the anterior chamber in the right eye improved significantly, which could be quantified by anterior segment optical coherence tomography. The ophthalmic parameters remained stable during the treatment of the underlying disease. The purpose of this publication is to draw attention to the ophthalmic symptoms of vena cava syndrome as well as to present the ophthalmic condition that sometimes accompanies the syndrome causing rapid, severe visual impairment, which, to our knowledge, has not been described before. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(49): 1967-1971.