Third accessory (supernumerary) intrathoracic right rib

Surgical resolution of chronic thoracic pain stemming from a rare osteo-muscular conflict: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Chronic thoracic pain presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly when arising from rare osteo-muscular conflicts. This report details a unique case of chronic pain due to an osteo-muscular conflict between the right tenth rib and the internal oblique muscle, highlighting the complexities involved in diagnosis and the potential for surgical resolution.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 33-year-old male with a decade-long history of chronic right hemithorax pain, unresponsive to conservative treatments, underwent diagnostic evaluation. Advanced imaging techniques, including a thoracic CT scan, revealed an ipodense area between the ninth and tenth ribs, suggesting an osteo-muscular conflict. Surgical intervention, specifically a partial costectomy of the right tenth rib, was pursued, resulting in significant symptom relief and improved quality of life.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

This case underscores the importance of considering advanced diagnostic evaluations in persistent chronic pain cases and the effectiveness of targeted surgical interventions in resolving anatomical conflicts. It contributes to the body of knowledge on managing complex musculoskeletal conditions and underscores the need for personalized treatment approaches.

CONCLUSION

Surgical intervention in selected cases of chronic pain due to rare anatomical conflicts can offer significant relief and enhance patient outcomes. This case advocates for a nuanced approach to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic thoracic pain, emphasizing the role of advanced imaging and the potential benefits of surgical resolution.

Intrathoracic rib: rare rib anomaly, review of the literature and proposal for classification

Background: Intrathoracic ribs are very rare congenital anomalies, and often discovered incidentally on chest X-ray. Since its first description by Lutz in 1947, approximately 50 cases have been reported in the literature till date. The aim is to review the all reported intrathoracic ribs, summarize their clinical features, and propose a potential classification. Methods: All relevant literatures were searched and reviewed. The terms include intrathoracic rib, intrathoracic bifid rib, trans-thoracic rib and intrathoracic rib anomaly. We have summarized the first finding events, origination, distribution, related anomalies and imaging features of intrathoracic rib, and propose an updated classification. Results: The patients' age at initial finding was from six weeks to 79 years old. Of all, sixty percent was less than 30 years old. There was no difference in gender. Most of them were reported by authors in western countries (85.3%, 58/68), and incidental findings by radiologist and respiratory physician. The intrathoracic rib occurs more frequently on the right side, and is usually single and unilateral. According to the new classification, type I and II was account for 45.6% and 35.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Intrathoracic rib is rare findings in clinical practice. It is useful that radiologists or clinician are familiarized with the imaging appearances of these malformations. These anomalies reflect some disturbances during the embryo development, leading us to propose a potential classification that could contribute to a better understanding of this rib anomaly.

Recognition of a rare intrathoracic rib with computed tomography: a case report

One of the uncommon congenital variations is intrathoracic rib which a normal, a bifid, or an accessory rib lies within the thoracic cavity that is founded accidentally. Clinically, in most cases they are without symptoms; however, it may cause intrathoracic problems therefore it is important for radiologists and physicians to identify to prevent of excessive intervention and treatment during imaging diagnostic techniques of thoracic problems. In this report, we provide the case of a rare presentation of an intrathoracic rib in a 3-year-old boy arising from the inferior portion of a second rib based on findings from computed tomography. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of this type of intrathoracic rib that demonstrated with computed tomography.

Resection of supernumerary intrathoracic rib using robotic-assisted video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

A supernumerary intrathoracic rib is a very rare congenital thoracic abnormality that is typically a benign incidental finding. However, in rare cases, they may cause pain, pneumothorax, and injury to surrounding viscus. We report a case of a supernumerary intrathoracic rib causing increasing chest pain diagnosed by computed tomography using three-dimensional reconstructions. The patient underwent robotic-assisted video-assisted thoracoscopic resection of the intrathoracic rib located in her left thorax. The rib was resected without complication, and the patient was discharged from the telemetry unit on post-operative day two. Upon discharge, there was complete resolution of her preoperative symptoms.

A unique case of left second supernumerary and left third bifid intrathoracic ribs with block vertebrae and hypoplastic left lung

Intrathoracic rib (IR) is a very rare anomaly in which a normal, an accessory, or a bifid rib lies within the chest cavity and may originate from a vertebra or a rib. It is more commonly present on the right side, and sometimes it may be associated with vertebral anomalies. Only 50 cases have been reported to date in the literature. In most cases, the IR is an isolated finding; it is incidentally detected and is asymptomatic. The IR can be easily missed on a chest radiograph and can be mistaken initially for a pleural lesion, lung consolidation, other peripheral lung parenchymal lesions, or a bony lesion. It is, therefore, essential for physicians and radiologists to know about this entity and consider it in the differential diagnosis, to avoid further evaluation and unnecessary investigations. We present a unique case of three intrathoracic ribs, a left second supernumerary rib, left third depressed normonumerary rib, and bifid arm of the left third rib, with block vertebrae and hypoplastic left lung. To our knowledge, this is the first such case presentation in the published literature.

Four accessory (supernumerary) intrathoracic ribs: a case report

Accessory (supernumerary) intrathoracic ribs are a very rare congenital disorder. Here, we present the first case of multiple supernumerary intrathoracic ribs in an adult, which are present consecutively between ribs 1 and 4 and without articulation with the vertebrae. Despite this, anatomical variation is usually silent and accidentally discovered; its knowledge can prevent confusion with other structures during imaging diagnostic techniques of thoracic pathologies.