title: Painful pectoralis major myospasm as a result of sternal wound reconstruction: complete resolution with bilateral pectoral neurectomies.
abstract: We report a patient with a highly unusual and previously unreported complication with the use of the pectoralis major muscle to treat the infected median sternotomy. The diagnosis of painful myospasm was made by a combination of physical findings and exclusion of other conditions such as recurrent infection. Treatment by pectoral denervation was relatively simple and highly successful. Patients with chest-wall pain after sternal wound reconstruction should have myospasm entertained as a possible cause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0286, USA. mast@surgery.ufl.edu
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mast
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D013035:Spasm / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000601:surgery