- Symptomatic patients require emergent care.
- Initiate systemic heparin for stabilization.
- External compression (ie, arterial thoracic outlet syndrome)
- Trauma (ie, clavicle fracture)
- Iatrogenic (ie, central venous access)
- Other (ie, fibromuscular dysplasia, neurofibromatosis, autoimmune vasculitis, radiation exposure)
- Arm claudication
- Muscle fatigue
- Rest pain
- Distal limb ischemia
Risk factors: Pathophysiology: Subclavian artery thrombosis is caused by vessel wall / intimal damage in an area of shear stress, often in the setting of a hypercoagulable state, resulting in the cascade of platelet aggregation and proliferation of smooth muscle that forms an atherosclerotic plaque.
Grade / classification system: Based upon symptoms at presentation –
- Asymptomatic
- Symptomatic
- Claudication
- Critical limb ischemia
- Acute limb ischemia