Thoracic outlet syndrome

Abstract

Abstract Mechanical impingement, either at rest or during activity, in the region of the thoracic outlet (bounded by the first rib caudally and the clavicle and scalene muscles anteriorly and posteriorly) may affect the great veins of the arm, its arteries, or most commonly, its nerves. Each produces a distinct pattern or symptoms and poses a different risk to the patient. Sometimes these conditions are mixed. Their treatment is largely surgical and a matter of complex clinical decision-making.