[Complications caused by patient positioning in unidentified "thoracic outlet syndrome"]

Following a 3-hour surgery of his left leg, a 22 year old male patient suffered paralysis and burning pain in his left forearm with numbness of his 3rd, 4th and 5th finger. During the following days the symptoms diminished spontaneously. The explanation is an ischaemia due to the positioning during the operation in presence of an unknown thoracic outlet syndrome. Diagnostic procedure and prophylaxis of the disease are discussed.