SVOA Paediatrics

Giangiacomo Nicolini^1*, Giulio Bove², Monica Micera¹, Alessandra Bet³ and Fabio Ricagna⁴

¹Unità Operativa Complessa di Pediatria e Patologia Neonatale, Ospedale San Martino, Belluno, Italy

²Dipartimento Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Scuola di Specializzazione in Pediatria, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy

³Country Paediatrician, Italy

⁴Unità Operativa Complessa di Chirurgia, Ospedale San Martino, Belluno, Italy

*Corresponding Author: Giangiacomo Nicolini, Unità Operativa Complessa di Pediatria e Patologia Neonatale, Ospedale San Martino, Belluno, Italy.

Received: April 14, 2022     Published: April 27, 2022

Abstract

We present the case of a male adolescent with a haemothorax caused by pericardial rupture secondary to costal exostosis. The patient is affected by multiple congenital exostosis and in 2014 he underwent a bone spur resection of the right femur. An X-ray performed at presentation was interpreted as suggestive of pneumonia and the patient was therefore treated with antibiotic without any clinical improvement. A thoracic ultrasonography performed 7 days later showed a massive haemothorax, confirmed by a CT scan on which a pericardial lesion caused by the growth of three osteocartilagineous spurs originating from the 5th, 7th and 8th rib was detected. The boy underwent surgery and recovered completely. The thoracic ultrasound and the subsequent CT-scan performed on the patient due to his lack of clinical improvement directed us towards a rare disease that the X-ray had not helped diagnose; this entailed the prompt surgical resolution of a possibly severe, maybe even fatal, condition.

Keywords: congenital exostosis, hemothorax, thoracoscopy, pericardial rupture

Citation: Nicolini G, Bove G, Micera M, Bet A, Ricagna F. “An Unusual Case of Spontaneous Hemothorax in an Adolescent Affected by Congenital Exostosis: Case Report and Literature Review”. SVOA Paediatrics 1:2 (2022) Pages 63-68.