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Superior vena cava obstruction

System: General & Eye–Ear Signs · All general & eye–ear signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

Swelling of the face, neck and arms with engorged veins over the upper chest, worse on bending forward or lying flat, sometimes with a dusky colour.

What a positive finding suggests

Associated with blockage of the superior vena cava, most often by a tumour or enlarged nodes in the chest, and sometimes by a clot around a central line.

Related signs — General & Eye–Ear Signs

Abdominojugular testAbsent red reflexAllen's testAmsler gridBitot's spotsBuerger's test

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.