Presentation
Incidental finding.
Patient Data
Rx chest supine
Nodule of 1.5 cm rounded in the lower left lobe.
CT chest without contrast
Exostosis on posterior aspect of the left 4th rib, anteriorly, with intrathoracic bone growth. The central part of osteochondroma continue with the marrow cavity of the rib bone.
Case Discussion
Approximately half of all primary chest wall tumors are benign. The osteochondroma (exostosis) being the most common. Most often they are asymptomatic, but rarely are they associated with pneumothorax, hemothorax, diaphragmatic rupture, empyema and lung injury. Spontaneous pneumothorax is most commonly caused by the unprompted rupture of a pulmonary bleb or by the compressive action of osteochondroma on the lung parenchyma.
Case courtesy Dr.ssa Laura Braccaioli
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