Paget-Schroetter Syndrome

Paget-Schroetter syndrome (PSS) refers to effort-induced thrombosis of the axillary and subclavian veins caused by mechanical compression of the subclavian vein at the thoracic outlet. As the venous form of thoracic outlet syndrome, PSS involves subclavian vein obstruction, distinct from arterial or neurogenic compression involving the subclavian artery or brachial plexus. First described in 1875 by Sir James Paget, the condition was initially characterized as spontaneous subclavian vein thrombosis. In 1884, von Schroetter proposed that repetitive musculoskeletal activity contributed to endothelial injury and thrombosis. This historical trajectory underscores the transition from early descriptive accounts to a more refined understanding of the condition's mechanical and hemodynamic pathophysiology.