Sternal cleft, a rare congenital anomaly. Report of the first Tunisian case.

BACKGROUND

Sternal cleft is an uncommon visually dramatic congenital anomaly of the chest wall. It is resulting of failure of the two lateral mesodermal sternal bars fusion by the eight weeks of gestation. Superior defects are the commonest forms, usually isolated.

AIM: Clinical and surgical aspects of sternal cleft are presented. The advantages of early surgery in the neonatal period are developed.

CASE REPORT: We report the first Tunisian case of a superior sternal cleft associated to haemangioma in a newborn boy. Scanning shows non-appearance of manubrium at the upper part of sternum. Sternal bars showing a U-shaped incomplete sternal cleft. Surgical repair consisted of reconstructing a new sternum from sternal bars and resection of haemangioma. The patient had good aesthetic and functional results.

CONCLUSION

The appearance of a child with its heart bulging through its chest wall is very disturbing to parents. Early surgery is most easy and most comforting.