• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1398-1400
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• 1996

The cardiac anatomic position immediately beneath the sternum leaves it vulnerable to injury when this bone is fractured. Cardiac rupture, however, is uncommon but survival following this injury is rare. We report the case of one patient who survived right ventricle perforation resulting from sternal fracture. The patient developed signs of pericardial tamponade and was brought to the operating theatre immediately for surgery through the emergency anterolateral thoracotomy Perforation of th right ventricle was repaired by direct closure without cardiopulmonary bypass. We believe that patients with cardiac rupture who reach the hospital alive can often be saved by prompt diagnosis and surgery.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.379-385
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• 2001

Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis is an uncommon disease, characterized by an inflammatory arthrosteitis of the sternocostoclavicular region. Clinically, it manifests as a painful swelling of the upper anterior chest wall, which is associated with occasional pustulosis palmaris and plantaris. A 48-year-old man had suffered from pain in both shoulders and the upper anterior part of the chest for 6 months. On examination, a venous engorgement in the neck with dilated collateral veins in the upper chest and shoulders was observed. Swelling was noticed in his face, neck and both arms. Radiologically, the clavicles, the sternum and the first ribs were enlarged with complete fusion between them. 99Tc scintigraphy showed increased uptake in the clavicles and the sternum. Selective venography resulted in a bilateral subclavian and brachiocephalic vein occlusion, which resulted from a subclavian vein thrombosis. All the above suggested a sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. He underwent a vascular graft interposition between the right jugular vein and the left innomianate vein (using 8mm ringed Gore-Tex graft) and a resection of the bilateral medial half of clavicle and 1st rib. Here, we present a case on sternoclavicular hyperostosis with subclavian and brachiocephalic vein thrombosis, and report this case study with a review of the appropriate literature.