title: An unusual cause of chest pain.
abstract: Flail chest is an uncommon condition that generally arises due to a significant impact to the chest, resulting in multiple fractures of the anterior and posterior ribs. This force may be much less if the bones are weakened for any reason, in osteoporosis or myeloma for instance. We describe a case of flail segment that arose secondary to a large sternal abscess resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.
authors.affiliation: Holme Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2TX, UK. beckybancroft@aol.com
authors.forename: Rebecca Jane
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bancroft
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jermin
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005409:Flail Chest / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections; D013249:Sternum