Scoliosis by acquired rib fusion after thoracotomy in infancy.

This is a report of a 6-year-old boy who was operated upon twice for congenital esophageal atresia immediately after birth, via a right posteriolateral thoracotomy without rib excision, and at the age of 5 years developed a high left-convex thoracic scoliosis with Cobb angle of 15 degrees due to an unilateral acquired fusion between the dorsal ends of the fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs. The scoliosis had progressed by 5 degrees 1 year later. Although congenital scoliosis associated with rib fusion is a well known entity, to the authors' knowledge this is the first report of an acquired rib fusion producing progressive scoliosis.