INTERNAL COSTAL EXOSTOSIS IN CHILDREN

Purpose of the study The authors report 2 cases of internal costal exo stosis in children. Observations Case 1 : A 15-year-old boy with hered itary multiple exostosis presented for chest pain. Radiograph and CT s can showed an internal rib exostosis. It was removed by thoracotomy. E ighteen months later, the child was painfree. Case 2. An-11-year old b oy presented with fever and a headache. A chest radiograph showed an I mage of pulmonary opacity interpreted as a pneumonia. The. child was a dmitted for antibiotic therapy. Two months later, X-ray lesion persist ed and a CT-scan was obtained. It showed a solitary costal internal ex ostosis which was removed by thoracotomy. At 12 months follow-up, he w as asymptomatic.Discussion Internal costal exostosis can induce some c omplications such as hemothorax, diaphragmatic or pericardic wounds. I n case of symptomatic exostosis, the authors recommend a surgical remo val to avoid severe complications. If the exostosis is asymptomatic, a bstention can be recomend. As a matter of fact, hemothorax, for instan ce, can occur even due to a round and smooth exostosis without any his tory of trauma.