CASE-OF-THE-MONTH - THORACIC OUTLET SYNDROME - A FUNCTIONAL DISTURBANCE OF THE THORACIC UPPER APERTURE

We describe a young woman with typical neurovascular symptoms of thora cic outlet syndrome (TOS). A three-dimensional computerized scan showe d a ''dislocation'' of the first rib at the costotransverse joint. The patient responded to a conservative approach to treatment. The patien t presented here demonstrates the functional compromise of the upper t horacic aperture that is frequently seen in young women. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.