Intermittent axillary vein obstruction in a competitive canoeist

The case is reported of a competitive canoeist with intermittent axillary vein obstruction secondary to shoulder girdle muscle hypertrophy. The anatomy of the axilla, pathology of the axillary vein, and reported cases of sports injuries involving the axillary vein are discussed. This would appear to be the first report of such an occurrence in a canoeist.