Chest wall tumours

Abstract EN

Thirty one patients were referred to the cardiothoracic unit at the Teaching Hospital in Basrah between 1998-2002.

All patients were assessed, operated on then followed up in the outpatient clinic.

They were 17 females and 14 males, their age range from 7-70 years.

Fourteen patients had benign tumours and 17 had malignant tumours, ten of them had primary malignant tumours, and 7 had metastatic tumours.

All patients with benign tumours were presented with painless chest wall swelling, while those with malignant tumours presented with painful swelling.

The locations of the tumours were in anterior chest wall in 15 patients, in the lateral wall in 12 patients, while the posterior wall is the site in 4 patients.

Thirty patients underwent surgical resection of the tumours, 14 patients had rib resection, and the number of the resected ribs was determined by the size of the tumour and range from 1-4 ribs.

Reconstruction of the defects was performed by using Marlex mesh covered by cutaneous or myocutaneous flaps there were no operative deaths.

Hospitalization days range from 4 to 14 days.

Post operative complications occurred in 6 patients, which include wound infection in 5 patients and acute bronchitis in one patient.

Recurrence of the tumours developed in 9 patients, all those with benign tumours are alive while 12 of those with malignant tumours whether primary or secondary are dead due to metastasis.

The aim of this study is to prove that malignant chest wall tumours need an aggressive approach with wide resection in order to have effective treatment.