Abstract
A 51-year old male with a strongly compressed thorax due to blunt trauma was admitted to our hospital. A radial pulse was not palpated at the left wrist, and was barely detected with a Doppler stethoscope. Initial computerized tomography scan demonstrated a hematoma in the circumference of the left subclavian artery, and bleeding from the left subclavian artery was suspected. Emergency angiography was performed and showed the left subclavian artery was occluded. The left vertebral artery was filled in a retrograde direction and the distal left subclavian artery could be visualized by filling from the left vertebral artery. There was no extravasation of contrast agent. As bleeding was controlled and blood flow to the left hand was maintained, we did not perform an operation. If a symptom due to the subclavian steal phenomenon had developed, we would have performed revascularization; however, as it was not observed he became an outpatient for follow-up. In this case the left subclavian artery was occluded due to blunt trauma, with the resulting hemodynamics showing subclavian steal phenomenon. We experienced a rare case that had been treated for traumatic occlusion of subclavian artery with just conservative treatment.
