[The reliability of somatosensory evoked potentials in the diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome].

Abstract

We assessed the role of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in the diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome. Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded in provocative and decompressing positions in 30 patients (28 females, 2 males; mean age 32 years; range 20 to 52 years) with a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome and in 30 healthy subjects showing a similar age and sex distribution. All recordings yielded normal ranges in both groups. No statistically significant differences were found between the positions in which SEPs were recorded and between the patient and control groups. Our data suggest that SEPs do not give diagnostic information in the identification of thoracic outlet syndrome.