<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >

Two months before admission, this 37-year-old woman noticed bluish-red streaks in the skin near her left sternoclavicular joint.Soon thereafter, hoarseness and hemoptysis developed.

62. venous stars heralding carcinoma of the lung

The image shows fullness in the left supraclavicular space; a distended, left-sided, neck vein; striking venous stars(cutaneous venules); and deeper dilated veins in the left upper thoracic area. Biopsy of a hard, left-sided, supraclavicular mass disclosed poorlydifferentiated squamous carcinoma.

As this case demonstrates, the sudden appearance of venous stars on the upper chest or shoulder may be the earliest manifestation ofan obstructed great thoracic vein. Indeed, further study of this patient disclosed total occlusion of her left subclavian and innominate veins. For moreinformation on venous stars, see Case 146.

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Images of memorable cases: 50 years at the bedside. OpenStax CNX. Dec 08, 2008 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10449/1.7
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Images of memorable cases: 50 years at the bedside' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask