title: A case of sternal insufficiency fracture.
abstract: We report a case of insufficiency fracture of the sternum in a 70-year-old female patient with a review of the literature. She complained of sudden onset chest pain and aggravating dyspnea. She has been managed with corticosteroid due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 15 years. Diagnosis of sternal insufficiency fracture presented with thoracic kyphosis was made on the basis of absence of trauma history, radiologic findings of lateral chest radiograph, bone scintigraphy and chest computed tomography. Thoracic kyphosis and osteoporosis secondary to menopause, corticosteroid therapy and limited mobility due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were considered as predisposing factors of the sternal insufficiency fracture in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000150:complications; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications; D011859:Radiography; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*