Age estimation at death by the study of chest plate radiographs: establishing a Tunisian male score.

We aim to establish a Tunisian score for age estimation through the study of chest plate's radiographs of a Tunisian male sample. We have focused on the study of 128 chest plate radiographs of Tunisian male individuals. We have established a score of eight criteria. The total score ranges from 8 to 32. Three observers scored double-blind the X-ray films. We studied the correlation of each criterion as well as the total score with chronological age for each observer. We also tested the reproducibility and the repeatability of criteria and total score. We calculated the estimated age for each score. We studied the relationship between the estimated age and the chronological age. The correlation between the total score and the chronological age has been good for the three observers (0.746, 0.756 and 0.742). The total score gives an estimation of age with a standard deviation of ± 5.88 years and a confidence interval of 95%, the interval's width increases gradually from 6.9 years to 23 years.

Age Estimation in Living Adults using 3D Volume Rendered CT Images of the Sternal Plastron and Lower Chest.

Age estimation is commonly of interest in a judicial context. In adults, it is less documented than in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate age estimation in adults using CT images of the sternal plastron with volume rendering technique (VRT). The evaluation criteria are derived from known methods used for age estimation and are applicable in living or dead subjects. The VRT images of 456 patients were analyzed. Two radiologists performed age estimation independently from an anterior view of the plastron. Interobserver agreement and correlation coefficients between each reader's classification and real age were calculated. The interobserver agreement was 0.86, and the correlation coefficients between readers classifications and real age classes were 0.60 and 0.65. Spearman correlation coefficients were, respectively, 0.89, 0.67, and 0.71. Analysis of the plastron using VRT allows age estimation in vivo quickly and with results similar than methods such as Iscan, Suchey-Brooks, and radiographs used to estimate the age of death.

Elastic Stable Chest Repair as a Means of Stabilizing the Anterior Chest Wall in Recurrent Pectus Excavatum with Sternocostal Pseudarthrosis: An Innovative Fixation Device.

INTRODUCTION: Open surgical procedures in the treatment of pectus excavatum (PE) involve predetermined incisions in the parasternal cartilage and the bony ribs. For some procedures, the ribs are even dissected from the sternum for better sternal mobilization and thus better elevation of the funnel. Secure restoration of the sternocostal junction is then required, with the consequence that healing may be quite impaired. Patients may also subsequently suffer from sternocostal nonunion, for example, pseudarthrosis, and dislocated ribs, as well as pain and a recurrence of PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients underwent another open surgery with revision of the pseudarthrotic sternocostal junctions and sufficient mobilization of the anterior chest wall, followed by an open reduction and internal fixation using Matrix Rib titanium plates (Synthes, Oberdorf, Switzerland). This procedure consisted of elevating the anterior chest wall and fixing the ribs to the sternum. In 2011 and 2012, we studied this procedure, known as elastic stable chest repair (ESCR), in a series of 20 patients. The patients underwent clinical and ultrasound examinations and X-ray radiographs after the operation, after 6 weeks, and at 3- and 12-month intervals. RESULTS: Follow-up showed high patient tolerance, although a loose plate was observed in one patient and a broken plate in three patients. A stable union was achieved for all sternocostal pseudarthroses. PE improved highly significantly (p < 0.001), as the Haller index decreased from 3.6 (range: 2.7-6.6, standard deviation [SD]: 0.92) to 2.7 (range: 2.0-3.7, SD: 0.42). Pain in the anterior chest wall was significantly reduced after the operation in the majority of cases. All but one patient was mobilized already the day after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: ESCR in recurrent PE achieved functional stabilization of the anterior chest wall combined with satisfactory results.

Sternocostal dislocation following open correction of pectus excavatum-"stairway phenomenon": complication management by means of sternocostal locking titanium plate osteosynthesis.

INTRODUCTION: Some open surgical methods describe complete sternocostal dissection with subsequent resynthesis. Lack of consolidation with painful sternocostal instability and retrosternal dislocation of sternal rib tips are possible complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients with symptomatic unilateral sternocostal dislocation were included in this study. After diagnosis, confirmed by three-dimensional computed tomography (CT), patients underwent open surgery. All affected ribs were reset and fixed to the sternum with the aid of titanium implants. RESULTS: The patients had, on average, unilateral dislocation of 3.4 rib joints with 15.4 mm retrosternal dislocation, which was fixed with 2.3 plates. A titanium splint was also employed. The recurrent nature of the problem made procedures very time-consuming (average operation time: 3 hours 25 minutes). One patient suffered strong intraoperative bleeding requiring transfusion of blood products and access enlargement. Follow-up examinations showed high patient satisfaction (grade of 1.7; rating scale 1-6). Remaining rib instabilities were observed just as infrequently as were material failures. The sternocostal rib splint in the costal cartilage became loose and was removed. One patient exhibited a pectoral muscle asymmetry. No other complications were observed. CONCLUSION: The term "stairway phenomenon" describes the dislocation of sternocostal joints. Observed after open pectus excavatum correction it can trigger substantial physical complaints. Thus, preserving those joints during pectus repair is strongly recommended. Locking titanium plates are a safe alternative to sternocostal suture fixation and is characterized by high patient satisfaction.

[Imaging-anatomic study of diaphragmatic sternocostal triangle with double-phase 16-row MDCT].

This study was aimed to determine the effects of respiratory phase, age, sex and body mass indexes (BMI) on the visibility and morphological characteristics of the diaphragmatic sternocostal triangle in normal adults shown by multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). A total of 100 normal adults were consecutively recruited and scanned with 16-row MDCT at the end of deep expiration and inspiration. The visibility and morphological characteristics of diaphragmatic sternocostal triangle were observed. All cases were grouped according to the respiratory phase, age, sex and BMI, respectively. The visibility rates by MDCT among different types of sternocostal triangles at the inspiratory or the expiratory phases were calculated and compared, and the visibility rate was correlated with age, sex, and BMI, respectively. In addition, the CT features of diaphragmatic hernia (n=2) were recorded and analyzed. The visibility rate of trigonum sternocostal was 43% at the end of inspiration and 32% at the end of expiration. No difference was found in regard to age, gender and BMI (P > 0.05). Rupture of diaphragm and the features of adjacent abdominal organs into thoracic cavity were revealed clearly on multiplanar reformation (MPR) images of MDCT in 2 patients with diaphragmatic hernia. The visibility rates of diaphragmatic sternocostal triangle were associated with the respiratory movement. MPR on MDCT could be useful for revealing the anatomic structure of diaphragm and the radiological features of diaphragmatic hernia. Furthermore, double-phase scanning of MDCT provides feasible method for studying the physiologic information of diaphragm movement in normal status and abnormal status.

Imaging of sternocostoclavicular joint in spondyloarthropaties and other rheumatic conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the role of the various imaging techniques in the study of the sternocostoclavicular joint, in patients with spondyloarthropathies and other rheumatic conditions and to assess potential pitfalls in the radiological diagnosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients, 11 male and 19 female, mean age 45 years, with involvement of the sternocostoclavicular joint as part of rheumatologic disorders (psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Tietze syndrome, SAPHO syndrome, and condensing osteitis of the clavicle) were studied. Conventional radiography, CT, MRI and bone scintigraphy were performed. The following imaging findings were evaluated: soft tissue swelling, bone sclerosis, cortical bone erosions, joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis, periosteal new bone formation, synovial reaction and intrarticular effusion. All the images were independently reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists. RESULTS: Conventional radiography demonstrated only sclerosis of the clavicula in 8 pts (26%) and the sternum in 3 pts (10%), cortical bone erosions in 7 pts (23%), joint space narrowing in 6 pts (23%) and periosteal bone formation in 2 pts (10%). At the CT examination sclerosis of the clavicula and the sternum was observed in 13 pts (44%), cortical bone erosions in 22 pts (76%), joint space narrowing in 10 pts (34%), ligament ossification in 12 pts (41%), subchondral sclerosis in 9 pts (34%) and periosteal bone formation in 10 pts (34%). The MRI was the most sensitive technique in the evaluation of the soft tissue swelling in 9 pts (56%), intrarticular effusion in 13 pts (81%) and synovial reaction in 13 pts (81%). Finally, bone scintigraphy showed an increased uptake at the sterno-costoclavicular joint in all patients who underwent the examination. CONCLUSION: The radiological evaluation of the anterior chest wall in patients with different rheumatic disorders represents a problem of difficult diagnostic evaluation both for the anatomic region complexity and for the variability of the radiographic findings. The integrated use of X-ray, CT, MRI and nuclear medicine is suggested to avoid misdiagnosis.

Imaging of the seronegative anterior chest wall (ACW) syndromes.

The sternocostoclavicular (SCC) region is subject to the same diseases that occur in joints, with congenital and developmental anomalies, inflammatory and infectious diseases, soft tissue and bone tumors as well as the seronegative spondyloarthropathies, including ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, enteropathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, pustulosis palmoplantaris and other syndromes. Most of these conditions present with swelling of the joint, which may be associated with pain and/or tenderness. These disorders are characterised by onset usually before the age of 40 years, absence of serum autoantibodies and sometimes the association with antigen human leukocyte antigen B27. Traditional X-ray study is indicated in the initial evaluation of SCC joint disorders, but other imaging modalities typically are often necessary to clarify the pathology. Computed axial tomography scans are indicated for disease processes in which bony destruction or ossification may occur. Magnetic resonance imaging provides more detailed and useful information when evaluating suspected pathology involving inflammation or soft tissue mass. Bone scintigraphy can help to correlate active inflammation of the SCC joint with symptoms of pain. The purpose of this study is to introduce the clinical and radiological aspects of the seronegative anterior chest wall diseases, particularly the contribution of the different imaging techniques.

Tophaceous gout of the first costochondral junction in a heart transplant patient.

We report the case of a 49-year-old man with a 10-year history of gout, who presented with a painful left first costochondral junction mass. A computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy of the mass revealed foreign body giant cell reaction and crystalline deposition consistent with tophaceous gout.

[Front chest pain and paresis of recurrent nerve: sapho syndrome]. / Dolor torácico anterior y paresia del nervio recurrente: síndrome sapho.

The AA. present a rarely encountered case combining a left recurrent palsy due to an sclerosis and hyperostosis of the first costoesternal joint, which improved after an antiinflammatory treatment.

Osteoarticular manifestations of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and of psoriasis: two distinct entities.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are two distinct diseases, and that the associated dermatoses are therefore also distinct diseases. METHODS: We prospectively performed clinical, radiological, biological, and bone scan investigations in 23 outpatients with pustolotic arthritis and 23 outpatients with PsA, matched by gender, age (+/- one year) and duration of arthritis (+/- two years). RESULTS: The anterior chest wall, especially the sternocostoclavicular joints, was more frequently involved in pustulotic arthritis than in PsA, both clinically (82% v 43%; p < 0.001) and radiologically (47% v 17%; p < 0.05). Sternocostoclavicular joints generally presented with erosive lesions in PsA, and with large ossifications in pustulotic arthritis. Peripheral joint involvement was mono- or oligoarticular, affecting proximal joints, in pustulotic arthritis (74% v 21%; p < 0.01), and polyarticular, involving small distal joints, in PsA (60% v 0%; p < 10(-4)), in which condition it was also more often erosive (43% v 8%; p < 0.01). The frequency of sacroiliitis and of spine involvement was similar in pustulotic arthritis and PsA. Biology and bone scan did not help distinguish between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pustulotic arthritis and PsA are clinically and radiologically different, therefore pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and psoriasis are most probably distinct dermatological diseases.

[Degenerative chondroarthropathy of the sternocostal joint following heart surgery]. / Degeneratív chondroarthropathia a sternocostalis ízületeken szívmütétek után.

Involvement of the sternocostal joints was investigated in a series of 46 males and 18 females following median sternotomy annually in a 5-year period and compared to 62 age- and sex matched control subjects after one year solely. Both groups had a mean age of 49.2 years. The degenerative chondroarthropathy of sternocostal joints was 1.69-times more frequent in heart operated upon patients as compared to control persons. Based on radiographic findings the degenerative chondroarthropathies were classed in 0 to 3 severity groups. Were seen articular space narrowing in 95.4%, osteophytes of the margin of the articular surface in 88%, subchondral bony eburnation in 79% and cystic radiolucencies in 48.9% of sternocostal joints on poststernotomy standard plain film tomograms. Not occurred intraarticular gas phenomenon and bony ankylosis. The development of arthropathies is traced back to mechanical stress-related predisposing factors and stressed the importance of oculoneutral dehiscences that simulated normal roentgenanatomic projections and caused a masked insufficiency in sternocostal junctions.

The acquired hyperostosis syndrome: a little known skeletal disorder with distinctive radiological and clinical features.

The acquired hyperostosis syndrome (AHS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of bone of unknown etiology. It is accompanied by circumscribed hyperostosis which can be associated with ossifying lesions at sites of tendinous and ligamentary insertions and erosive or non-erosive arthritis. The predominant location of lesions is the sternocostoclavicular region (approximately 80% of patients), less frequent are involvement of the spine, pelvis, and appendicular skeleton. In 20%-60% of cases AHS is associated with palmoplantar pustulosis, psoriasis, or severe acne (acne fulminans or conglobata). The X-ray appearance of AHS is a more or less homogeneous increase in density with blurred margins, which on scintiscan with labeled phosphate compounds is associated with intense accretion of tracer. These features are associated with a variable increase in the acute phase reactants and a conspicuously low increase, if any, in serum alkaline phosphatase. The therapeutic modalities which have been used so far are entirely symptomatic. Long-lasting improvement has been reported following percutaneous anti-inflammatory radiation therapy.

Palmoplantar pustulotic arthro-osteitis of the peripheral joints with no sternocostoclavicular lesions.

A 45 year old woman presented with swelling and pain on joint movement of her knees, although joint movement was relatively well maintained. Five years previously the patient had been diagnosed as having pustulosis palmoplantaris by a dermatologist. Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had no effect, but treatment with 5 mg/day prednisolone caused remission of both the joint pain and swelling and the pustulosis palmoplantaris. There were no sternocostoclavicular lesions at any time during treatment. Clinical findings in this patient were different from previous reports and she was diagnosed as having palmoplantar pustulotic arthro-osteitis affecting the peripheral joints.