Occult sternal metastasis identified by laminography in patients with chest pain

Six patients with occult sternal metastasis presenting with chest pain, and four with sternal deformity associated with "arthritis" had undergone routine roentgenographic examinations, reported as "normal." Subsequent laminography of the sternum demonstrated lytic lesions confirmed by needle biopsy. Adenocarcinoma of the lung and breast were identified in two each of four patients; myeloma and kidney neoplasms were the primary source of malignancy in the remaining two patients. In widespread malignancy, metastasis to the skeletal chest wall is a well-recognized occurrence. Infrequently, it can be an isolated manifestation of an occult or recurrent malignancy, initially overlooked when routine roentgenograms are read as normal. Although sternal x-rays remain the most important means of diagnosis, in suspected cases of sternal metastasis laminography alone may initially reveal lytic lesions.