Abstract
Although the vascular complications of the thoracic outlet syndrome are most infrequent, their presence may cause severe ischemic symptoms in the upper extremity.
This is to report our recent experience of three cases with evident vascular complications. These patients had coldness, pain, weakness and colour change in the affected hand. In two cases of these patients had fingertip ulcerration.
On physical examination radial and brachial pulses were absent in three cases, and the axillary pulse was absent in one case.
Three patients had demonstrable bony abnormalities on plain radiography of the thoracic outlet, such as cervical rib, abnormal first rib and clavicular deformity following clavicular fracture.
Angiography had considerable value in this condition. Complete obstruction was found at the subclavian artery in one case and other cases had incomplete obstruction at the subclavian artery with brachial arterial occlusions.
We performed surgical treatments for these patients. Excellent results were obtained in two cases and insufficient improvement in one.
