Both osteoporotic fractures and pleural effusions are frequently observed in medicine. However, rarely does one associate a hemorrhagic pleural effusion with a thoracic spinal fracture when the patient has not sustained massive trauma. In this paper, we discuss two cases where seemingly insignificant low-energy trauma precipitated massive haemothoraces in elderly patients with underlying osteop...

The following case describes the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of a 49 year-old patient with back pain in the thoracic spine and lower extremity edema. His initial presentation, coupled with a history of trauma, required an extensive work-up to determine the source of the back pain and edema. The patient was determined to have two thoracic vertebral compression fractures, bilateral low...

This 54 year old male patient complained of upper back pain for four months, which increased on physical exertion. An X-ray examination of the spine showed compression fractures of the anterior aspects of the thoracic vertebrae VI and XI as well as anterior aspects of the thoracic vertebrae VI and XI and signs of osteoporosis. Physical examination revealed signs of hypogonadism as well as eunuc...

The authors report a case of thoracic splenosis, which is the autotransplantation of splenic tissue into the pleural cavity. Splenosis in the chest is a rare entity and most often an incidental finding on chest computed tomography, typically showing solitary or multiple well-defined, noncalcified pleural nodules of variable size in the left hemithorax. It is important to include this benign pat...

We present a case of motorcyclist involved in multi-vehicle motor vehicle accident (MVA), where he was rear-ended by motorcar, collided head-on into second motorcar and subsequently flung off his motorcycle. There no suggestion runover. At autopsy, the torso showed extensive brush abrasions with open wounds. Internally, there were devastating injuries, complete separation thoracic abdominal vis...

Traumatic chylothorax other than iatrogenic thoracic duct injury is extremely rare in children. Chylothorax can cause cardiopulmonary abnormalities and significant nutritional, metabolic and immunologic consequences. The management of chylothorax ranges from conservative treatment to surgical intervention. We present a four-year-old boy who presented with respiratory difficulty due to multiple ...

Introduction Trauma is the third most common cause of death in all age groups. One out four trauma patients die due to thoracic injury or its complications. Seventy percent traumas are blunt injury. This indicates importance chest among traumas. Quick and precise assessment bears paramount deciding life-saving definitive management. Often, initial management based on subjective by attending cli...

Although pulmonary disability is usually minimal following total sternectomy, the potential for remote complications exists. We present a case of severe respiratory failure resulting from simple rib fractures occurring two years after sternectomy for sternal osteomyelitis. Respiratory failure resulted from flail chest due to the combination of acute rib fracture and the lack of anterior fixatio...

We report three cases of thoracic spine translocation without neurological deficit. In each case bilateral pedicular fractures, demonstrated by computed tomography, produced ‘floating arches’ which account for the sparing of the cord. If computed tomography demonstrates adequate canal dimensions, these patients may be treated conservatively, but the treatment ofchoice at specialist spinal centr...

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. PURPOSE To assess the prevalence of osteoporosis related spinal fractures among Saudi Arabian males. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE Vertebral fractures are the most common complication of osteoporosis and is the first sign in both sexes and only 25 to 30% of radiographically observed vertebral deformities are recognized. METHODS We analyzed the chest radiographs ...