Complete Sternal Cleft

[摘要] Background: Sternal cleft is a rare chest wall anomaly with a reported incidence of 1 in 100,000 live births. It results from failure of midline fusion during embryonic development. It can present as an isolated anomaly or be associated with other malformations. The condition is easily diagnosed in a neonate due to the paradoxical movements of the chest. Early surgical repair in the neonatal period is the treatment of choice to improve respiratory dynamics and prevent recurrent respiratory infection with their sequelae. Case Report: We report a case of a neonate who was diagnosed to have absence of sternum at birth due to the mediastinal bulge with paradoxical chest wall movements. The diagnosis was later confirmed on imaging studies and the neonate was successfully managed conservatively and later referred to tertiary centre for surgical repair. Conclusion: Paradoxical movements of the thorax in a newborn should alert the physician towards possibility of sternal cleft.

[学科分类] 生理学

[关键词] Cantrell Pentalogy;Chest;Sternal cleft;Neonate;Sternum.