Presentation
Chest pain. ECG normal. Troponin normal. No recent history of trauma.
Patient Data
Ragged lucent line across posterior shaft of right 9th rib, accompanied by cortical buckling.
Sclerosis along inferior margin of the rib proximal to fracture site.
Case Discussion
This rib fracture is an incidental discovery when the patient was evaluated for sudden chest pain. On inquiry, the patient did not recall any recent history of trauma or sports injury.
Palpation revealed no local tenderness or lump.
CT could confirm the findings, but was not done as it would not add to patient management.
Rib fractures are a common association of traumatic incidents, but are often easy to miss on x-rays.