CHEST WALL RECONSTRUCTION USING CUSTOMIZED NEO-RIBS: CASE REPORT

Chest wall tumours are challenging subjects. In the present article we describe a case of a 51 year old female who developed an angiosarcoma eight years after radiotherapy treatment due to left breast cancer at age 41. She had resection of the anterior segments of the 3rd to 5thribs followed by chest wall reconstruction, using MatrixRib fixation system®, Marlex® mesh and latissimus dorsi muscle flap. After two years the angiosarcoma relapsed. Considering the predicted extent of the chest wall resection, a reconstruction using titanium plates was not an option, so we opted to shape neo-ribs of Methyl Methacrylate using rubber drains as a mold. It affords very good anatomical contour of the chest wall and more physiological function than other options, although only long-term follow-up and future studies will determine the performance of this method.