Radiologic abnormalities of the sternum in Turner's syndrome

Various skeletal abnormalities, including chest deformity, have been reported with Turner's syndrome. We report radiologic findings of the sternum on lateral chest roentgenograms in 15 children and adolescents with Turner's syndrome, whose ages ranged between 2 weeks and 20 years. Eight had associated congenital heart disease (CHD). Twelve patients (80 percent) had various sternal abnormalities; 5 had short sternum, 3 had premature fusion of the manubrio-sternal junction, and 4 had premature fusion of the mesosternum. Five had decreased ratio of sternal body to manubrium. Three patients had two ossification centers of the manubrium. Four patients had bowing of the mesosternum; three of these had mild pectus excavatum also. In this series, children with and without CHD had similar sternal abnormalities. Although not pathognomonic, sternal abnormalities on a lateral chest roentgenogram are common skeletal abnormalities associated with Turner's syndrome and are independent of associated CHD. In our series of 15 patients, 10 had monosomy (45,X) on blood karyotype; 7 of them had associated CHD. This is the first systematic analysis of radiologic abnormalities of the sternum in Turner's syndrome and includes findings not previously reported.