title: Isolated asymptomatic short sternum in a healthy young girl.
abstract: Congenital sternal defects are rare deformities frequently associated with other anomalies of the chest wall and other organ systems. Although pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, and cleft sternum can present as isolated deformity, in most cases they are associated with heart and inner organs anomalies and described as symptoms of syndromes like Marfan syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Poland anomaly, and Cantrell pentalogy. In contrast, the etiology of an isolated defect is not well understood. We observed a short sternum (dysmorphic manubrium, hypoplastic body, and complete absence of the xiphoid process) in a completely asymptomatic 13-year-old woman. A comprehensive instrumental exams panel was performed to exclude associated anomalies of the heart and of the other organ systems. The patient was completely asymptomatic and she did not need any medical or surgical treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first case of isolated short sternum reported in literature.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turturro
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cosma
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calderaro
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montanaro
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Labianca
authors.affiliation: Radiology Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Argento
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferretti