Imaging of thoracic wall abnormalities

Abstract

Identification of certain abnormalities of the chest wall can be extremely helpful in correctly diagnosing a number of syndromic conditions and systemic diseases. Additionally, chest wall abnormalities may sometimes constitute diagnoses by themselves. In the present pictorial essay, we review a number of such conditions and provide illustrative cases that were retrospectively identified from our clinical imaging database. These include pentalogy of Cantrell, Klippel-Feil syndrome, cleidocranial dysplasia, Poland syndrome, osteopetrosis, neurofibromatosis type 1, Marfan syndrome, Gardner syndrome, systemic sclerosis, relapsing polychondritis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, ankylosing spondylitis, hyperparathyroidism, rickets, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, tuberculosis, septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint, elastofibroma dorsi, and sternal dehiscence.