Traumatic Left Subclavian Arterial Thrombosis – A Case Report

Subclavian Artery Thrombosis (SAT) typically arises secondary to some form of injuries and arthrosclerosis. The contributing factors are coagulopathies and emboli and, the conserving blood is naturally reflowed from circle of Willis. A cold, painful, cyanosis, and pulseless upper extremity are proved as the symptoms. Recently, a 42-years-old smoker, diabetic, and hyperlipidemic woman was admitted with severe headache, vomiting, feeling weak, vertigo, decreasing of level of consciousness. Her left hand was pulseless, cold and painful and her blood pressure and force were significantly decreased. CT Angiography showed a large free gelatinous floating mass. The clot was completely removed by surgery and after that, left hand pulses and consciousness returned gradually. An unusual reason of acute upper extremity ischemia is thrombosis of subclavian artery. The percentage of symptomatic lesions is less than 1, but the same percentage in autopsy cases embraces 9% of the patient who have substantiate stenosis or obstruction of subclavian artery. All symptomatic patients should be treated emergently.