Difficult cases in heart failure

Increasingly, devices such as transcutaneous pacemakers and defibrillators are being applied to patients with advanced forms of heart failure. While the complications from the placement and residence in the venous system are uncommon, perhaps wider application may make certain complications, such as the one discussed below, more common. Therefore, the case below discusses the superior vena cava syndrome, which may be a diagnostic dilemma, and a possible approach to its diagnosis and treatment.