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OBJECTIVES The Haller index (HI) is widely utilized as a quantitative indicator to assess the extent of the pectus excavatum (PE) deformity, which is the most common chest wall abnormality in children. Both preoperative correction planning and postoperative follow-up need to be based on the standard of normal thoracic growth and development. However, there is currently no established reference range for the HI in children. Consequently, the goal of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of normal HI values among children to understand thoracic developmental characteristics. METHODS Chest computed tomography images obtained from January 2012 to March 2022 were randomly selected from the imaging system of the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. We divided the images of children into a total of 19 groups: aged 0–3 months (1 group), 4–12 months (1 group) and 1 year to 17 years (17 groups), with 50 males and 50 females, totaling 100 children in each group. HI was measured in the plane where the lowest point of the anterior thoracic wall was located and statistically analysed using SPSS 26.0 software. RESULTS A total of 1900 patients were included in the study. Our results showed that HI, transverse diameter and anterior-posterior diameter were positively correlated with age (P  <   0.05). Using age as the independent variable and HI as the dependent variable, the best-fit regression equations were HI-male = 2.047 * Age0.054(R2 = 0.276, P<0.0001) and HI-female = 2.045 * Age0.067(R2 = 0.398, P<0.0001). Males had significantly larger thoracic diameters than females, and there was little difference in the HI between the 2 sexes. CONCLUSIONS The HI rapidly increases during the neonatal period, slowly increases during infancy and stops increasing during puberty, with no significant differences between the sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is a rare joint infection, and it sometimes leads to a chest wall abscess or mediastinitis. We report a case of a 70-year-old man who was diagnosed with empyema caused by an anterior chest wall abscess extended from septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint. It is very rare that arthritis causes empyema combined with an anterior chest wall abscess, and this is the first report of such a case. The patient was successfully treated with surgical drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penetrating cardiac injuries are rare but are one of the most urgent emergencies because they require early intervention in order to prevent death. The mortality rate of such injuries, including pre-hospitalization deaths, goes up to 90%. The most commonly injured heart chamber is the right ventricle since it takes over half of the anterior thoracic wall. The left ventricle is injured less often, but these patients usually have worse prognoses and higher mortality rates because such injuries lead to hemodynamic instability faster. We present a unique case of a suicide attempt in which the patient stabbed himself with a knife, penetrated the left ventricle, and survived even though he transected the second diagonal branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery and pulled the knife out of his chest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study was designed to evaluate entheseal sites and anterior chest wall (ACW) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using ultrasound (US) and investigate the correlation between disease activity and US score. Methods: This prospective cross‐sectional study included 104 patients with AS and 50 control subjects. Each patient underwent US scanning of 23 entheses and 11 sites of the ACW. The US features, including hypoechogenicity, thickness, erosion, calcification, bursitis, and Doppler signal, were evaluated. Disease activity was assessed based on C reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), disease activity score‐C reactive protein (ASDAS‐CRP), and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). Results: The most commonly involved entheses on US were the Achilles tendon (AT) and quadriceps tendon (QT). The most involved site of ACW was the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ). Compared with the control group, significant differences were observed in the AS group in the rates of US enthesitis and ACW in AT (P =.01), SCJ (P =.00), and costochondral joint (CCJ) (P =.01). Patients with high or very high disease activity had a higher erosion score (P =.02). The erosion score was weakly positively associated with CRP, ESR, BASDAI, ASDAS‐CRP, and ASDAS‐ESR (correlation coefficient: 0.22–0.45). Conclusions: The most commonly involved entheseal sites on US were AT and QT, while the site of ACW was SCJ. The US assessment of AS should take the ACW into account. High disease activity might indicate erosion in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a rare variant muscle. Methods: Aberrant muscle was observed in the anterior chest wall musculature during routine cadaver prosection. Results: Musculus sternalis consisting of two muscular bellies united at an angle by an intermediate tendon was observed anterior to the pectoral major of the left side. The muscle did not have any bony attachment. Conclusions: The present case represents a hybrid muscle with superior belly derived from the prepectoral mass and inferior belly from ventral longitudinal muscle column. Clinically, the musculus sternalis may be misinterpreted as a pathological mass or lesion thus its accurate knowledge is significant to radiologists, angiologists and surgeons for better interpretation of mammographic images, safer interventions and for reconstructive surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The anterior chest wall (ACW) involvement is characteristic of synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome, yet little research has focused on its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Purpose To characterize the MRI features of the ACW in patients with SAPHO syndrome. Methods Seventy-one patients with SAPHO syndrome and ACW involvement evidenced by bone scintigraphy were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The ACW region was scanned using sagittal, axial, and oblique coronal Dixon T2-weighted sequences and axial Dixon T1-weighted sequences. The characteristics of both active inflammatory and chronic structural lesions were evaluated. Results The ACW lesions exhibited an asymmetrical distribution and a predilection for the sternocostoclavicular region (93.0%). Notably, 91.5% of the patients had lesions in the area of the anterior first ribs. Bone marrow edema (BME) was observed in 63 (88.7%) patients, which mainly affected the sternocostal joints (87.3%) and the manubrium sterni (84.5%). All of the BMEs were distributed under the articular surface or the bone cortex, consistent with the distribution of the ligaments and joint capsules. Synovitis was detected in 64 (90.1%) patients, with a predilection for the sternoclavicular joints (76.1%). A soft tissue mass or infiltration was found in all the patients who had bone marrow edema. Thirteen (18.3%) patients showed venous stenosis. Structural changes included bone bridge formation (80.3%), hyperostosis (43.7%), and fat infiltration (39.4%). Four common patterns of involvement were observed: the first rib area, the sternoclavicular area, the sternal angle area, and the areas of the second to sixth sternocostal joints. Conclusion The ACW lesions of SAPHO syndrome demonstrated a triad of enthesitis, synovitis, and osteitis, suggesting complex interactions among the ligaments, synovium, and bones in the region. The inflammatory changes in the first rib area were highlighted in SAPHO syndrome.

Introduction: To evaluate, factors associated with new ultrasonographic lesions of the anterior chest wall in spondyloarthritis (SpA) after a follow up of 5 years.Methods: SpA Patients included in 2013 in a first study were evaluated five years later. Ultrasound B mode and power Doppler examination of the two sternoclavicular joints and the manubrio-sternal joint were performed by the same two examinators at baseline and five years later. The presence of erosion, synovitis, ankylosis, power Doppler signal, joint effusion and joint space narrowing were assessed blind of the first evaluation.Results: Among the 131 patients at baseline, 58 patients were evaluated 5 years later. The mean age was 48.2±11.9 years old, with 86% of male and mainly an axial disease (78%). Patient characteristics are comparable to the original cohort. The most frequent lesions were ankylosis of the manubriosternal joint (38%) and erosions of the sternoclavicular joint (29%). 31 patients (53%) developed a new lesion of the ACW. There is a statistically significant association between new lesions of the ACW and higher ASDAS CRP (1,86±1,07 VS 3,0±2,17 P<0,01) and with CRP (5,34±7,85 VS 16,2±35, P=0,035) in the moment of the examination. There was no baseline factor associated with the structural progression.Conclusion: The occurrence of new lesions of the anterior chest wall is associated with a higher disease activity and a higher CRP at 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of Anterior Chest Wall (ACW) arthropathies in a tertiary care center and identify clinical, biological and imaging findings to differentiate osteoarthritis (OA) from non-osteoarthritis (N-OA) etiologies., Methods: Search from medical records from January 2009 to April 2022, including patients with manubriosternal and/or sternoclavicular and/or sternocostal joint changes confirmed by ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The final study group was divided into OA and N-OA subgroups., Results: A total of 108 patients (34 males and 74 females, mean age: 47.3 ± 13 years) were included. Twenty patients had findings of OA, while 88 were diagnosed with N-OA pathologies. SpA was the most common etiology in the N-OA group (n = 75). The other N-OA etiologies were less common: rheumatoid arthritis (n = 4), Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome (n = 3), infectious arthritis (n = 3) and microcrystalline arthropathies (n = 3). Regarding the distinctive features, ACW pain was the inaugural manifestation in 50% of patients in OA group and 18.2% of patients in N-OA group (p = 0.003); high inflammatory biomarkers were more common in N-OA group (p = 0.033). Imaging findings significantly associated with OA included subchondral bone cysts (p < 0.001) and intra-articular vacuum phenomenon (p < 0.001), while the presence of erosions was significantly associated with N-OA arthropathies (p = 0.019). OA was independently predicted by the presence of subchondral bone cysts (p = 0.026)., Conclusion: ACW pain is a common but often underestimated complaint. Knowledge of the different non-traumatic pathologies and differentiation between OA and N-OA etiologies is fundamental for appropriate therapeutic management., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

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Copyright of Der Unfallchirurg is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Anterior chest wall (ACW) inflammation is not an uncommon finding in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) and reportedly occurs in 26% of these patients. Radiologists may only be familiar with spinal and peripheral joint imaging, possibly due to the inherent challenges of ACW imaging on some cross-sectional imaging modalities. Knowledge of relevant joint anatomy and the location of sites of inflammation allows the interpreting radiologist to better plan appropriate imaging tests and imaging planes. Accurate assessment of disease burden, sometimes in the absence of clinical findings, may alert the treating rheumatologist, allowing a better estimation of disease burden, increased accuracy of potential imaging scoring systems, and optimize assessment and response to treatment. This article reviews salient anatomy and various imaging modalities to optimize diagnosis, important differential diagnoses, and the interpretation of ACW imaging findings in ax-SpA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]