Inflammatory Metastatic Carcinoma of Sternum Mimicking Sternal Osteomyelitis with Gas Gangrene

Abstract

Anterior chest wall pain and swelling associated with inflammatory symptoms may be related to the inflammatory process such as infections and arthritis (1). Occasionally, an underlying pathologic process, such as malignancy, can be missed if the symptoms clearly implicate an infection. It can lead to catastrophic results for both the patient and the clinician. Here, we report an elderly male patient initially presenting as gas gangrene in the pectoralis major muscles and osteomyelitis of the sternum and finally diagnosed as metastatic carcinoma of unknown origin of the sternum.