title: Tracheostomy in patients with cervical rib: a note of caution.
abstract: Cervical rib is a congenital phenomenon that usually occurs in association with upper-limb neurovascular symptoms. The presence of a cervical rib displaces the great vessels that cross the thoracic outlet superiorly and proceed into the neck. We report an unusual case of iatrogenic hemorrhage during a tracheostomy in a patient whose right subclavian artery had been displaced by a cervical rib. Our aim is to alert surgeons to the hidden risks of this phenomenon.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002573:Cervical Rib Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000473:pathology; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects*