Spontaneous subclavian vein thrombosis.

A young man presented with swelling of his right arm and engorgement of the superficial veins over the shoulder. Bilateral upper limb venography was performed and confirmed the presence of thrombus in the right subclavian vein. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the upper extremity is an unusual thrombotic event with a reported incidence of 1-2% of all cases of venous occlusion. Review of the literature reveals a number of diverse aetiologies, and no agreement regarding the best terminology for the subgroups of this disorder.