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Pancoast syndrome

Etiology: - Pancoast tumor (lung carcinoma, non small-cell carcinoma) Pathology: 1) malignant tumor in the region of the superior pulmonary sulcus (Pancoast tumor) 2) Horner's syndrome 3) lower trunk brachial plexopathy & Horner's syndrome - compression of the C8, T1, & T2 nerve roots Clinical manifestations: 1) Horner's syndrome 2) shoulder pain, shoulder & arm weakness (brachial plexopathy) Radiology: - chest X-ray - CT of chest - positron emission tomography (PET) to assess metastases [4] - CT-guided biopsy after CT +/- PET [4] Management: - see Pancoast tumor

Related

Horner's (Bernard-Horner's) syndrome Pancoast Pancoast tumor (superior pulmonary sulcus tumor)

General

syndrome

References

  1. Stedman's Medical Dictionary 26th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1995
  2. Arcasoy SM, Jett JR Superior Pulmonary Sulcus Tumors and Pancoast's Syndrome. N Engl J Med 1997; 337:1370-1376. November 6, 1997 PMID: 9358132 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199711063371907
  3. Popat R, Derodra J, Vig S, Lim E. A sinister cause of shoulder pain, with numbness and weakness in the ipsilateral hand. BMJ 2012 Oct 26; 345:e6948 PMID: 2309755
  4. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 19 American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2022