Thoracic outlet syndromes: new concepts from a century of discovery

From March of 1861 to the present day there has been a striking evolution in the understanding of the neurovascular compressive disorders arising at the thoracic outlet. In 1958, Rob and Standeven reported the clinical characteristics of a group of patients with upper-extremity arterial complications. They suggested the commonality of the various compressive abnormalities by introducing the term, 'Thoracic Outlet Compression Syndrome' to the surgical literature. The development of morphologic, embryologic, and histochemical concepts is outlined in the framework of the author's investigations.