Copyright (c) 2026 Rolando Torres
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The phenomenon of subclavian artery steal occurs because of stenosis or proximal occlusion of the subclavian artery (SA), causing retrograde blood flow in the vertebral artery (VA) on the same affected side. The clinical manifestations resulting from the alteration of vertebrobasilar flow and brachial perfusion constitute subclavian steal syndrome (SSS), characterized by paroxysmal vertigo, sudden falls, and/or upper limb claudication.
Although historically considered a rare entity, advances and the availability of new imaging modalities have significantly increased its detection and clinical recognition. The phenomenon of subclavian artery steal is often related to atherosclerotic disease of the subclavian artery. It is a cause of syncope or presyncope related to cerebral hypoperfusion that occurs during use of the arm. We present the case of a patient with cerebrovascular symptoms who underwent carotid artery Doppler ultrasound.
