Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent and may be associated with higher risk for metabolic syndrome. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is known to perturb cellular function in many tissues, including the endocrine pancreas, which are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This study examined the vitamin 25(OH)D3 concentration and its relationship with the metabolic syndrome am...

A case of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) treated at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica, is presented. The diagnosis, investigation and management of TOS are discussed.

Diagnosis and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) involves neurologists, physiatrists, family physicians, orthopedic surgeons, vascular surgeons, thoracic surgeons, neurosurgeons and sometimes psychiatrists. It is generally accepted that TOS is caused by compression of brachial plexus elements or subclavian vessels in their passage from the cervical area toward the axilla and proximal a...

A 44-year-old woman presents with a chief complaint of neck pain with radiation of paresthesias into her left medial forearm, and fourth and fifth digits. She was involved in a rear end motor vehicle collision 2 years prior. Her symptoms are exacerbated by work (eg, typing, mousing), and combing her hair, and have remained relatively constant at 3 of 10 average, and 8 of 10 at its worst by visu...

BACKGROUND/AIM Thoracic spine insufficiency is a subject of interest in neck problems. The aim was to investigate thoracic spinal curvature and mobility in subjects with and without chronic neck pain (CNP), cut-off points, and the relationship with pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-six patients with CNP (CNP group) and 53 healthy volunteers (control group) were included. Neck pain intensity o...

Two distinct terms are used to describe vascular thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) depending on which structure is predominantly affected: venous TOS (due to subclavian vein compression) and arterial TOS (due to subclavian artery compression). Although the venous and arterial subtypes of TOS affect only 3% and <1% of all TOS patients respectively, the diagnostic and management approaches to venous...

The diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome was once debated in the world of vascular surgery. Today, it is more understood and surprisingly less infrequent than once thought. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is composed of three types: neurogenic, venous, and arterial. Each type is in distinction to the others when considering patient presentation and diagnosis. Remarkable advances have been made ...

"Thoracic outlet syndrome" is a term ascribed to a complex clinical entity encompassing complicated neurovascular signs, symptoms and pathology of the upper extremity. Controversies exist concerning its causes, diagnosis, and treatment despite years of intense study of hundreds of patients. Although there is no universal agreement on the diagnostic and treatment modalities to be applied to each...

The role of thoracic spine related dysfunction in producing lower extremity symptoms is not clear. This case study describes the assessment and treatment of a patient with low back pain and bilateral lower extremity (BLE) symptoms. It was found that patient education about postural awareness and passive mobilization are valuable aids to decrease BLE symptoms due to sympathetic nervous system (S...