Radioisotope-guided localization and resection of non-palpable focal lesion of the rib

Excisional biopsy of non-palpable rib tumors still represents a challenge for thoracic surgeons: in fact primary or metastatic tumors originating from a rib can be difficult to localize topographically at the time of excisional biopsy, thus potentially resulting in inappropriately placed skin incisions, incomplete tumor excision or even in wrong rib or segment resection (1).