Unilateral thoracic outlet syndrome in a case with bilateral cervical ribs

Abstract

The cervical rib can be a rare finding in asymptomatic subjects. When it produces compression, it affects variably the vasculonervous structures of the brachial plexus; the clinical is progressive, related to movement; diagnosis is by exclusion, imaging studies indicate the site of osteo-neuro-vascular conflict and electrophysiological studies indicate the degree of neural involvement. Next, we present a young male patient with an eight-month history of paresis and right dysesthesias, with an image of bilateral cervical ribs with different anatomical characteristics; this case discusses how a variant of the anatomy produces pathology and when it is not related to compression.