This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Pancoast's syndrome

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Pancoast's syndrome is due to a tumour, usually squamous cell carcinoma, near the apex of the lung which results in an ipsilateral Horner's syndrome.

Erosion of the ribs results in severe pain in the shoulder.

Infiltration of the lower part of the brachial plexus (C8-T2) results in:

  • pain down the inner surface of the arm and the fourth and fifth fingers
  • paralysis and wasting of the muscles of the hand and forearm
  • there may also be a unilateral laryngeal nerve palsy and vocal cord paralysis causing a hoarse voice/ bovine cough

Associated syndromes include:

  • thoracic outlet syndrome

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.