Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) caused by gallbladder cancer is extremely rare, with tumor thrombus potentially leading to right atrial obstruction or fatal pulmonary embolism. This report presents a 56-year-old female with gallbladder cancer who developed SVCS due to tumor metastasis. The patient presented with cough, hoarseness, dyspnea, headache, and facial-cervical swelling. Contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography confirmed tumor thrombi in the left brachiocephalic vein, right brachiocephalic vein, and superior vena cava (SVC). Under cardiopulmonary bypass, SVC thrombectomy was performed, revealing two massive thrombi (20 × 80 mm, 10 × 80 mm). At the 11-month follow-up, the patient showed good recovery without thrombus-related complications. Surgical intervention directly relieved mechanical obstruction caused by tumor or thrombus, demonstrating its crucial role in palliating life-threatening obstruction and improving quality of life in advanced cancer with SVCS.
Keywords: case report; gallbladder neoplasms; open surgery; superior vena cava syndrome; thrombectomy.
© The Author(s) 2026.