title: [Anterior chest wall examination reviewed].
abstract: Anterior chest wall involvement is not infrequently observed within inflammatory arthropaties, particularly if one considers seronegative spondyloarthritides and SAPHO syndrome. Physical examination is unreliable and conventional X-rays analysis is an unsatisfactory tool during diagnostic work-up of this region. Scintigraphic techniques yield informations both on the activity and on the anatomical extent of the disease while computerized tomography visualize the elementary lesions, such as erosions, which characterize the process. Moreover, when available, magnetic resonance imaging couple the ability to finely visualize such lesions with the possibility to show early alterations and to characterize the "activity" of the disease, presenting itself as a powerful tool both for diagnosis and follow-up. This review briefly shows the applications of imaging techniques for the evaluation of the anterior chest wall focusing on what has been done in the SAPHO syndrome which can be considered prototypical for this regional involvement since it is the osteo-articular target mainly affected by the disease.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Reumatologia, Università degli Studi di Ferrara; Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lo Monaco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santilli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trotta
mesh_terms: D020083:Acquired Hyperostosis Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010808:Physical Examination; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013247:Sternoclavicular Joint; D013248:Sternocostal Joints; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed