Aneurysmal bone cyst of the rib

Abstract

Aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare benign tumor-like disease, which typically affects metaphyses of long tubular bones. Most often this osteolytic bone neoplasm occurs and is diagnosed in childhood or adolescence with a slight predominance of female subjects. There is no specific clinical manifestation of an aneurysmal bone cyst; its development is characterized by pain syndrome, swelling of soft tissues, restriction of limb function, less frequently - by pathological fractures. Aneurysmal bone cyst as a primary benign rib tumor is extremely rare, especially in the elderly. The article presents a clinical observation of a 69-year-old male patient with an aneurysmal bone cyst of the second left rib. The reason for seeking medical help was the increasing pain in the chest on the side of the lesion. X-ray computed tomography made it possible to determine the exact localization of the neoplasm, its relationship with the ribs and structures of the mediastinum. The cyst was radically removed through left thoracotomy, by excision of the tumor with the cortical layer of the rib. The subsequent morphological study confirmed the diagnosis of the aneurysmal bone cyst. The patient was being observed for 6 months and had no signs of the disease recurrence.