title: Sternal Cleft and Pectus Excavatum: A Combined Approach for the Correction of a Complex Anterior Chest Wall Malformation in a Teenager.
abstract: Congenital sternal cleft is a rare chest wall malformation. Because of the flexibility of the chest in infants, surgical repair should be performed by primary closure in the neonatal period. In adolescents and adults, different techniques have been suggested to overcome the lack of sternal bone tissue. We describe a very rare case of an 18-year-old woman with a complete bifid sternum associated with pectus excavatum for whom a satisfactory cosmetic and functional result was obtained by adequate surgical planning, which entailed a combination of two standardized surgical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tocchioni
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghionzoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lo Piccolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Diana E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Deaconu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Facchini
authors.affiliation: Thoracic Surgery Department, San Paulo University Medical School General Hospital, San Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jose R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Milanez De Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery, University of Florence and Children's University Hospital A. Meyer, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: a.messineo@meyer.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messineo
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009139:Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013249:Sternum / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013905:Thoracoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed