Abstract
An 80-year old man was referred to our department because of an extra-pleural tumor. CT revealed a mass in the fourth ventral intercostal space. CT-guided biopsy was conducted and the tumor was diagnosed as alpha SMA-positive, and suspected to be borderline-malignant. An operation was conducted, and we resected the ribs, costal cartilages, and sternum, including the tumor. To preserve the rigidity of the thorax, we reconstructed the chest wall using polypropylene mesh, and also reconstructed the sternum with Kirschner wire and bone cement. After the surgery, the tumor was diagnosed as a desmoid tumor. Our procedure of sternal reconstruction is effective to preserve the rigidity of the thorax, especially in front of the heart.
