[Costal chondritis treated by resection of the entire costal arch]

A 68-year-old man had chronic pleural empyema, an alveolar fistula, and purulent perichondritis. The pericostal abscess extended beneath both sides of the costal arch and had a cutaneous sinus in the right hypochondrium, but it did not communicate with the cavity of the pleural empyema. In separated operations, the entire costal arch was resected and the alveolar fistula was closed with the pedunculate latissimus dorsal muscle. Neither tuberculosis bacilli nor tubercular granulomas were seen in resected specimens. The postoperative course was uneventful and the pericostal abscess healed, but the alveolar fistula recurred and the patient died of pneumonia 3 years and 6 months after the first surgery.