A POTENTIAL DANGER DURING ENDOSCOPIC THORACIC SYMPATHECTOMY

1.  *Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
2. †Department of Surgery, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery

Volume 67, Issue 8, pages 578–579, August 1997

A report of a patient with an azygos lobe and an associated anomalous azygos vein covering the upper thoracic sympathetic chain. This anomaly poses a significant risk during the procedure of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. A chest X-ray is useful in detecting this anomaly and alerting the surgeon to potential problems.