Acute Budd–Chiari syndrome caused by tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava secondary to non-small cell lung cancer

Budd–Chiari syndrome secondary to lung cancer is very rare. The clinical features of this disease have not been well described, as only a few cases have been reported in the past 3 decades. We analyzed 5 such cases, including the present case, and have identified certain features of lung cancer that may play a role in this syndrome. All cases had cancers originating in the right lung, and 4 cases were patients with non-small cell lung cancers. Because of the rapid progression of liver failure, the prognosis for this syndrome is very poor, and the effects of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are limited. Recently, however, new treatments, such as stent placement therapy, have been shown to relieve pain and prolong life. We describe a rare case of acute Budd–Chiari syndrome caused by tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava secondary to lung cancer. In addition, we discuss similar cases reported in the past 3 decades and the effectiveness of stent placement therapy.