Autologous tissue reconstruction sternal cleft: a rare congenital malformation
Atthawit Mongkornwong1, Laliphat Kongpanichakul1, Niti Tawaranurak1
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Songklanagarind Hospital, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.
Insights
Sternal clefts, rare congenital chest deformities, require autologous tissue reconstruction for protection. This case highlights successful surgical repair in an infant, restoring chest wall contour and function.
Area of Science:
- Congenital deformities
- Thoracic surgery
- Pediatric surgery
Background:
- Sternal clefts are rare congenital chest-wall anomalies, presenting as complete or incomplete defects.
- Reconstruction using autologous tissue is crucial for protecting the heart and preventing respiratory infections.
Observation:
- A 16-month-old infant with a partial superior sternal cleft, born preterm and as part of a twin pregnancy, was treated.
- Initial management involved a moist dressing to promote wound healing until complete epithelialization of the cutaneous layer.
Findings:
- Surgical reconstruction was performed using autologous tissue following successful wound healing.
- The patient achieved a near-natural chest wall contour post-surgery.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates the efficacy of autologous tissue reconstruction for partial superior sternal clefts in infants.
- Successful surgical outcomes ensure adequate cardiopulmonary function and improve cosmetic results in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Sternal clefts are rare congenital chest-wall deformities, which can be complete or incomplete; therefore, reconstruction with autologous tissue is essential to protect the heart and prevent respiratory infection. In this report, we present the case of a 16-month-old baby girl from a preterm, twin pregnancy with a partial superior sternal cleft. A moist dressing for promoting wound healing was used until cutaneous layer complete epithelialization at which time we performed reconstruction with autologous tissue. After surgery the patient recovered with close-to-natural chest wall contour and adequate heart and lung function.
