Intrathoracic scapular dislocation following lung cancer resection

Scapular dislocation following radical surgical excision of lung sarcomatoid carcinoma: A rare case report

RATIONALE

Scapular prolapse is a rare complication of thoracotomy. Only a few cases of scapular prolapse after thoracotomy have been reported. Here, we report the case of a 52-year-old male patient who underwent standard posterior thoracotomy for lung sarcomatoid carcinoma invading the left upper chest wall.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The surgery was performed to remove some ribs and chest wall muscles; however, no reconstruction or repair of the chest wall defect was performed. The patient experienced a sharp pain and severe limitation of movement of the left shoulder within 1 month of receiving adjuvant therapy.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was diagnosed with left intrathoracic scapular prolapse after careful consideration of medical history, physical examination, and chest radiography.

INTERVENTIONS

We performed closed manual reduction because the patient refused to undergo surgery.

OUTCOMES

The patient's shoulder pain and movement limitation were significantly relieved, but the symptoms relapsed. After repeated closed manual reduction, the patient was instructed not to abduct the shoulder joint above 90°. The patient did not relapse during a 1-year observation period.

CONCLUSION

If scapular prolapse occurs, manual or surgical reduction can be selected based on the needs. If a patient refuses to undergo surgery, manual reduction can be an effective treatment method.

Intrathoracic scapular dislocation following radical surgical chondrosarcoma resection from chest wall

Locked scapula or intrathoracic scapular dislocation is an extremely rare entity encountered in the emergency department, with very few cases reported in literature. Conservative vs surgical approach in treating intrathoracic scapular dislocation is not well defined in literature. In this case report, we present a rare case of intrathoracic scapular dislocation, following multiple ribs resection due to malignant bone tumour, which was treated by closed manipulation reduction technique.