Subclavian Artery Thrombosis

Excerpt

The subclavian arteries (SCAs) may be affected by a wide range of nontraumatic pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, type A aortic dissection, arterial thoracic outlet syndrome, and acute arterial thrombosis. Subclavian artery thrombosis is typically underdiagnosed by physicians. Harrison, in 1829 was the first to uncover stenosis of the initial segment of the subclavian artery. Bachman and Kim 1980 performed the first angioplasty of the subclavian artery. The disease is four times more common in the left subclavian artery than in the right. Subclavian artery stenosis can cause significant ischemic symptoms in the upper extremities, brain, and rarely in the heart.