title: Venous thoracic outlet syndrome.
abstract: Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is a complex but rare disease that often can have excellent outcomes if quickly recognized and treated. The syndrome results from compression of the subclavian vein along its exit from the thoracic cavity and frequently affects young otherwise healthy patients. Modern diagnosis is made with a combination of clinical exam, appropriate non-invasive imaging, and, finally, contrast venography, which can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. Treatments have evolved over time to the point where patients can undergo less extensive procedures than previously performed and still maintain excellent outcomes. One of the most important predictors of outcome is the initiation of treatment within 14 days of symptoms. Hence, the importance of the accurate and prompt diagnosis of this syndrome in patients with an upper-extremity deep vein thrombotic episode cannot be further underscored. This review is a concise summary of the background and treatment algorithm for this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA General Surgery Resident, Walter-Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA ylum1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei Lum
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D013350:Subclavian Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013901:Thoracic Outlet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D056824:Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Paget–Schroetter syndrome; effort thrombosis; review; treatment; venous thoracic outlet syndrome; venous thrombosis