The purpose of this paper is to present a pictorial display of osseous
and articular lesions of the anterior chest wail. The role of CT and
MR imaging in such disorders is emphasized. Imaging of the anterior th
oracic wall by plain films is particularly difficult. However numerous
disorders may be encountered. They include inflammatory hyperostosis
and sclerosis of the clavicle and the sternum, condensing osteitis and
post-traumatic osteolysis of the clavicle, radiation osteitis of the
sternum and the ribs, septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint,
primary and secondary tumors of the sternum and the ribs. We illustrat
e a spectrum of such lesions in which CT and MR imaging provides acute
evaluation of both soft tissue and bone details.