Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Associated with Cervical Rib

A true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) associated with a cervical rib is considered extremely rare. The authors present their experience with 5 cases of true neurogenic TOS associated with a cervical rib. All patients were female and had a cervical rib confirmed radiographically pre-operatively. Average age was 34,8 years. Although all patients had been treated with several combinations of diverse drugs and a rehabilitation program before referral to surgery, all described their pain as intense and debilitating before surgical treatment. All patients had pre-operative electromyographic abnormalities. Patients were operated on via a supraclavicular approach and the cervical rib was resected. No intra-operative or postoperative complications were noted. Two years postoperatively, all patients mentioned improvement. However, only 2 were symptomless, and on no medication. In one patient there was significant improvement, and in the remaining 2 patients some residual pain persisted that had to be dealt with pharmacologically. All patients were able to resume their daily life activities. Recovery was poorer in the 2 patients that had been referred to surgery after a longer period of time since the beginning of symptoms.

Tuberculose Costal. A Propósito de Dois Casos Clínicos

Os autores apresentam dois casos clínicos de tuberculose costal. Em ambos, os doentes eram do sexo masculino, sendo que, no decorrer da investigação, o primeiro dos doentes revelou elevado grau de imunodepressão. Apesar da clínica característica, com um quadro insidioso de febre associada a abcessos frios da parede costal, flutuantes, com tendência a fistulização e tendo ambos os doentes recebido ciclos de antibioterapia sem aparente resposta à mesma, o diagnóstico revelou-se difícil. No primeiro caso, só o elevado grau de suspeição e a decisão de iniciar terapêutica quádrupla antibacilar, com resolução total das queixas, conduziu ao diagnóstico. No segundo caso, apenas o exame realizado em meio de Löwenstein, com material obtido por punção, confirmou o diagnóstico. A tuberculose costal é uma patologia infecciosa rara e de difícil diagnóstico. O mesmo baseia-se no elevado grau de suspeição, na endemicidade da tuberculose e na existência de possíveis comorbilidades imunodepressoras.