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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition presenting with arm complaints of pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. The cause is pressure in the neck against the nerves and blood vessels that go to the arm.
There are three types of TOS depending on which structure is being compressed:
1. Neurogenic TOS-Bnerve compression comprises 95% of all TOS patients
2. Venous TOSB-compression of the main vein comprises 4% of all TOS patients
3. Arterial TOS-Bcompression of the main artery comprises less than 1% of all TOS patients
4. Vascular TOS is a term sometimes used but there is no such entity as vascular TOS. The term refers to TOS due either to compression of an artery or vein (arterial or venous TOS). The appropriate terms, arterial or venous, should be employed and the term vascular discarded.
The three types of TOS are very different from each other. Each will be described separately.
This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html
The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org
Last Updated: 3/6/2009
Copyright 2009 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
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