Thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the sternum: resection and reconstruction.
Metastases of thyroid carcinoma to the sternum are not so frequent and ablative surgery enables the patients to live longer with a better quality of life. After such a resection, the surgical defect has to be covered either by autogenous or artificial substitutes. We present a 62 years old patient with an asymptomatic sternal metastasis of a poorly differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma. After radical excision, including the sternum, both clavicular heads and an upper mediastinal dissection, the defect was reconstructed in two layers, combining a Marlex mesh and a pedicled pectoralis major muscle flap. Postoperative course was uneventful and respiratory function was not disturbed.
Kinoglou
G
G
Head and Neck Surgery Department, Jules Bordet Cancer Institute, Rue Héger-Bordet 1, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Vandeweyer
E
E
Lothaire
P
P
Gebhart
M
M
Andry
G
G
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013249:Sternum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*