Thoracic outlet syndromes: a plea for conservatism

Abstract

This article focuses on the controversial subtype of TOS, which presents primarily sensory sentence, normal neurologic examination, normal electrodiagnostic study results, and normal neck x-ray films. At present, this entity is so variable in its "typical" presentation that it has no characteristic profile. Although some physicians now are attempting to narrow its boundaries, the goal of fashioning a syndrome that has general acceptance remains to be achieved, consequently, neurosurgeons who do not now perform TOS surgery, but are contemplating doing so, are urged to review the literature critically on the subject first, and to err toward conservatism.